Sunset
by Nafia7
Summary: Skydoesminecraft is captured by the evil squids. However, as his execution draws closer, he's rescued by a strange girl, who is not at all what she seems. As strange and dangerous events occur, Sky must figure out how to save himself and his friends. A Minecraft fic rated T for language, fluff, and some goriness. Team Crafted, Deadlox, Setosorcerer, and others appearing later. (AU)
1. Jungle Squids

Sky raced through the woods, sprinting as fast as he could. Jungle squids. Why was it always jungle squids? His musings were cut short as he reached the beach. Where was that boat?

He'd come out to the island after hearing rumors that it was inhabited by the mysterious "butter-flies". Hoping to see them for himself, he'd built a boat and sailed to it. Unfortunately, now his boat was gone, and jungle squids were only a few seconds behind him…

Sky knew what to do. Pulling out his golden sword, he waited for the squids to appear. This first one would run straight onto the blade. It always happened. And the second one would tangle in its tentacles. Again, it always happened. The third? He'd lop its head off. And the fourth would run away screaming like a very frightened squid.

But this time, something was different. The squids hadn't attacked him yet. He was sure that they'd been following him. Sky had heard their sinister, derpy muttering as they chased him. _YOSO. The butter is ours. Slay the Butter Warrior. Slay him!_ It was terrifying, and even thinking about it gave Sky chills.

Risking a glance behind him, Sky froze, and then laughed. Of course. There was his boat. It had always been there. Right? Backing towards the water slowly, he carefully stepped into the boat, sliding away from the island. The hunt for the elusive butter-fly would have to wait. Sky didn't want to risk the chance of a squid sneak attack as he searched. He'd let them calm down, and…

_Splash_. A noise brought Sky's attention back to the water. Looking around, he saw nothing, and smiled to himself. He must be getting paranoid. Turning back to his paddles, Sky struck out for home. He already missed his butter throne.

_Splash. Splash splish. Sploosh._ He frowned. There must be something in the water. Some seaweed, perhaps, or… Oh no. Squids. Sky had been so preoccupied by the jungle squids, he'd forgotten about his nemesis. He had to get out of here, before the Squid King arrived. Redoubling his efforts, Sky began to row as fast as he could.

There was no point. Tentacles wrapped around his boat, preventing him from escaping. Reaching for his sword, Sky realized that it was gone. The squids must have taken it while he was distracted. This situation was rapidly getting worse.

Drawing his butterknife, Sky began to hack at the tentacles that held him in place. However, his butterknife did not make for the most efficient weapon. He had managed to sever one tentacle when the head of his arch enemy rose from the water. The Squid King. Despite himself, Sky cringed in fear. His day had just gotten a whole lot worse.

With a chuckle that sounded like the death scream of a toad, the Squid King smiled, spreading his tentacles out above the water. "Sky," he boomed, his ghastly breath drifting towards the boat. "I think we have a change of destination." At a flick of the Squid King's tentacles, his minions flipped the boat over, dumping Sky and his buttery gear into the sea.

**Dun Dun Dun! Next chapter coming soon!**


	2. Wakening

Sky awoke in a dark cell, deep in the Squid King's stronghold. Ugh. He didn't feel so good. His head ached horribly, and sucker marks trailed along his skin. It hurt. Hurt a heck of a lot. Hurt so much that he needed a nap…

Ah. That felt better. Sky forced himself to stay calm, despite the presence of squids nearby. Freaking out wouldn't help. Freaking out wasn't the solution. Stay calm, Sky, stay calm…

A squid poked its tentacles through the bars of Sky's cage. "Hello there," it said. Alright. Time to freak out.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Squid! Squids! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Sky howled, eyes wide. "Get it away! Lemme out! Lemme out of here! Squids! Aaaaiieeeee!" So much for being calm.

"Now, now, Sky, this isn't a way to treat old friends," the Squid King said, smiling horribly. "Just relax. I have all sorts of fun planned for you."

Sky simply glared at the disgusting, tentacle behemoth.

"You'll notice I've taken a lot of time preparing for your visit," the Squid continued. "After all, you can breath, as I'm sure you've noticed. That's a specialty service that we reserve only for our most… esteemed guests. Plus, we've even installed a fully functioning entertainment system!" The cephalopod smirked as he extended a tentacle arm, pressing a button.

Butter. Beautiful butter. Sky couldn't help himself; he sprang for the butter, which sat, in all its perfection, atop a pedestal in a side alcove that had been revealed by the Squid King's button.

His lunge fell short, and Sky smashed into an invisible wall. Oops. Rubbing his forehead, he turned to the now loudly chortling Squid King and company. "When I said entertainment system," the evil slimeball gurgled out, "I didn't specify for whom."

"Squid scum, release me this instant if you value your tentacles!" Sky ordered, trying to fill his voice with menace. His efforts were somewhat impeded by the egg-sized lump that was forming on his skull.

Several of the squids drew back in fear. But the remainder of the crowd that was growing around Sky's cell began to laugh. Squid laughter was horrible. It was like many cats being strangled at once, or maybe a bullfrog being squashed. Possibly it was a combination of the two. Either way, it made Sky cringe in disgust.

"So… terrifying! I can't find the words!" the Squid King jeered. "Alright, everyone, dismissed." The squids let out a collective sigh and swam away slowly. "Except for you two, Jetti and Ed!" The minions he'd named hung back.

"What is it, your sliminess?" Squid No. 1 asked.

"Take him to the pit. Make him reveal the defenses of the Sky Army headquarters!" With that, the Squid King swam away.

Sky kicked at the squids as they wrapped their tentacles around his arms and legs, dragging him out of the cell and towards the pit. It was no use, and as he began to run out of oxygen, his struggles became ever weaker.

* * *

**What do you think? Tell me in the reviews! Next chapter coming soon! Thank you for reading!**


	3. Hey Bro!

Back in his cell, Sky collapsed on his cot. Owowowowowowow… The marks that the whip had left all across his neck, shoulders and back hurt. At least his conscience didn't. Sky had managed to resist the ever-growing temptation to tell the secrets of Sky Army Headquarters. However, he wasn't sure for how much longer.

A noise brought his attention back to the cage. There was a squid standing there, waiting expectantly. "Wha- aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Sky screeched, startled.

"Ooo, yeah, keep your face just like that! I want a photo!" the squid squealed. "Hi, I'm Nelson, and I'm, like, _totally _your biggest fan."

"What the hell?" Sky mumbled. It hurt to talk, since his throat felt so raw after all the screaming he'd been doing over the past few days.

"Yeah! Ohmyherobrine, I can't believe you're here. Can I have your autograph?"

Oh. This might work in his favor. "Well, I'd love to sign something for you, but I need out of here. If you let me out, I can do it."

Nelson narrowed his beady eyes. "Wait a minute. You're, like, trying to trick me!"

Busted. "Um…no…"

"OMHB! All my friends will totally, like, _love_ to hear this! I outsmarted Sky!"

"I don't really…You didn'toutsmart me!"

"You mad bro?" the squid said, aggravatingly. Holy Notch, that squid did not just call him 'bro'.

"Listen: I'm not your 'bro', and I don't know what the hell you think is happening." Sky fought the impulse to lunge at the repulsive creature, or, barring that, run from the maniac.

"Oh, what's happenin'? I want your autograph 'cause you're gonna be executed soon, and you're, like, the biggest celeb in the ocean right now!"

What? Sky was going to be executed? This was news, and not the good kind. "So you want my autograph, since I'm going to die soon?"

"Yeah!" Nelson exclaimed enthusiastically.

"How soon, exactly?"

"Eh, I didn't pay attention. Now, about the autograph?" Sky was saved from answering by a squid guard who had just noticed Nelson.

"Hey! Kid! Get out of here!" the guard shouted. Nelson turned pure white; he looked like a skinny ghast.

"Umm… Well, catch ya later bro! I'll bring my friends over tomorrow!" He disappeared in a cloud of ink and scooted out of sight.

"I'm still not your bro!" Sky called after him. The kid couldn't be bothered to learn the date of the execution? Well, Sky would just have to escape as fast as possible, sparing no time on the fun dramatic stuff. Darn it.

* * *

**Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing! I honestly never expected that anyone would be interested in my writing. It's a dream come true to have people reading my writing. This is something I've always wanted to do. This feels so awesome, and it's just unreal to be able to do this.**

**On a side note, I'm hoping for some OCs. If you guys could help come up with some squid guards and some of Nelson's buddies, that would be great. Also, I'm** **going to need some dragons for future chapters (my profile doesn't begin to cover my obsession with them). PM with ideas! Thank you!**

**OC Form:**

**Name: (I might change it slightly, if that's alright)**

**Species: (What the heck is it?)**

**Relationships: (How does this character interact with others? I reserve ultimate author veto power on this one)**

**Personality: (If I have to explain this, well...)**

**Miscellaneous: (Anything I should know?)**


	4. Ember

Several hours later, Sky's attention was drawn to the hallway. Several squids were carrying a prisoner between them. She was a young girl, with hair the color of an enderman and ice blue eyes. The girl didn't seem to be fighting the squids; rather, she seemed relaxed, almost bored, an arrogant smile toying with the corners of her mouth.

"We brought you a friend," the Squid King announced. "She decide that she'd like to attack me, and will face the penalty. I'd kill her now, but a group execution seems like it would be a good plan. She can join you!"

Yes. Absolutely delightful. And Sky still didn't know when this execution was going to happen. "Great. I'm thrilled," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The squids flung the girl none too gently in the cell next to Sky, and, cackling maniacally the whole time, left the prison hallway.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, sounding as though he'd just asked her the stupidest question in the world. "Of course I'm alright."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Ember," she answered. "And you're Sky, right?"

"That's me," he said, nodding. Ember nodded, almost to herself. Now that she was closer, he could see that she was dressed all in black, with the exception of her purple necklace. She was, Sky realized, very, very pretty.

"So when is this execution of ours set for?" Ember asked resignedly.

"Never, as far as I'm concerned. I'm going to escape."

"Good luck with that," she snorted, dismissing his confidence. "They're not stupid. They've got guards—

"They're squids. They are inherently stupid. It's biological, they can't help themselves," Sky interrupted. "Simple fact of life."

Ember glanced at him. Wow, she was cute. In the I-could-stab-you-with-a-sword-and-you-would-keep-standing-there-like-an-idiot way. Does that still count as cute? "They have guards at every corridor. And I saw something a tad more dangerous than squids."

Sky waited for her to go on. When she didn't, he was forced to ask. "Well? What is it?"

"Are you sure you can handle it? I've heard you collapse into a screaming wreck at the sight of a squid." Her words were cutting, but the smile was playful.

"I don't!" Sky protested. "Tell me?"

"The magic word?"

"Please?"

"The word is actually banana. But please'll work, I guess." She paused, savoring his expectation. "They have Caharison on their side."

Sky stared at her. Whaaaaa…? Did he really have to have the insane jailmate? _Yes, Sky, you do._ "What's that?"

"The question is _who_. He was an alchemist who was sympathetic to the squid cause and managed to turn himself into a hybrid. He's very dangerous."

"Eh, I've heard better tales," Sky said, grinning. She stepped up to the bars that kept them apart, curling her hands around them.

"Don't underestimate him." Ember pulled back her sleeve, revealing a deep slice that trickled blood. "He was the one who captured me."

"Yeah, about that. Why the hell would you attack the Squid King?"

She hesitated for a second, then smiled sheepishly. "My… friend… dared me to."

"Stupid reason," Sky said, sitting down beside the bars.

"Yeah… How'd you get here?" she asked pointedly.

"Uh… I forgot that squids lived in water, so I got in a boat and kind of got distracted and, well, here I am."

"Even stupider reason," Ember said, arching one eyebrow.

"It depends on your point of… Okay. Yeah, it kind of was stupider. But seriously? A dare?"

"If I told you the real reason, I'd have to kill you," she warned, eyes sparkling.

"Fair enough." They both smiled.

* * *

**Thanks to my lil' brother for Caharison! I'm so excited about the turnout of OCs! I never believed that people would actually be reading this. I'm still in need of some squids and dragons. If you guys could keep sending in the characters, that would be amazing. Thank you so much!**


	5. Caharison

**Sorry for not updating sooner! I hope you guys like this, 'cause I was up past midnight writing, with a very helpful cat (definition of cat: cute ball of really annoying fluff) climbing all over me. Please follow the story if you like it!**

His imminent execution kept Sky awake. The knowledge that soon he would be dead was troubling, to say the least. At first, Sky had been certain that he'd be able to escape, in as grand a style as he wanted. Now, with what Ember had told him, Sky would be lucky to survive.

Sky hoped that this… Caharison character wasn't as dangerous as Ember had said. An insane, squid-loving alchemist could prove to be a problem. Scratch that; from what Ember said, he wasn't even an alchemist anymore. He was a squid hybrid. Why anyone would bring such a fate upon themselves was beyond him. Life as a squid would be miserable.

He glanced over to check on Ember. She was curled up on her cot, facing the wall. Her breathing was rapid, like a caged bird fluttering its wings. A soft glow seemed to emanate from her hands, which were concealed from Sky's view.

"_Sey. Mina nko."_ She was talking to herself softly. _"Mina sahl comple mein ksat."_ A pause. _"Kai nei lein ksat meinai."_ Ember nodded, as though having reached an agreement, and the light faded away.

"What was that?" Sky asked, curious. Ember spun, startled, to face him.

"I thought you were asleep," she choked out, eyes huge in the pitch black of the prison.

"Nah. Night owl here." Sky grinned. "So what was that?"

"What was what?"

"The glow, the talking."

Her face was pure white. "You saw?"

"Yeah. So you admit it was there?"

"Shut up." She rose and began to pace through the dark, the soft soles of her shoes eerily silent. What had her so mad? It's not like he was eavesdropping. She'd just been talking to herself. Right?

"If you must know," she said at last, her voice thick, "It's something my… friend… gave me. It's an amulet. It glows if I tell it to."

That made sense, inasmuch as 'sense' could be applied to the magical properties of an amulet. "But why were you talking?" he asked.

"We made up this secret language when we were little, and I was thinking about what I'd say to him if he were here."

Uh-oh. A he? This could be a problem. "Do you miss him?" Sky asked gently.

Ember nodded, sending her raven hair cascading down her back. "Yes. I've known him as long as I can remember."

She sounded genuine. "Sorry for listening in. I shouldn't have," he apologized ruefully.

"It's alright, Sky," Ember said softly. Hearing his name sent a slight shiver through Sky's spine. "I'd have listened in on me too."

He smiled, glad that the tension was past. "Did this friend happen to be the one who dared you to fight the Squid King?"

"Possibly," Ember said, returning his smile. Somehow, she read his face, the question that he wanted to ask, but didn't dare to. "He's not my boyfriend, you know."

Sky turned bright fuchsia, the color spreading across his entire face. Notch, please keep it too dark for her to see. "That's fantasti- I mean… um… alright?"

Ember laughed, eyes sparkling. _Alright, Sky, well handled. You absolute smitten idiot_. "Glad you approve," she said, keeping a studiously straight face. She must be so used to guys crushing on her. It probably drove her crazy, the kind of puppy-dog attention that boys undoubtedly gave her. _Don't make a fool of yourself_, his subconscious warned him. _Eh_, his consciousness decided, receiving, and promptly deleting, the message.

* * *

Nafia: Yay! We have tons of dragons! Now I can blow up all the squids.

Sky: What squids? We only have Nelson. *sniffles* And no butter.

Nelson: I always knew I was in a class by myself...

Sky: Shaddup.

Nafia: Thank you, Sky.

Nelson: But, bro, I thought we were homies!

Nafia: *Grins evilly at Sky* I could write that in, you know.

Sky: Lemme out of here! I didn't volunteer for this! How'd I even get in the author's note anyway?

**Calling all squids! I think Nelson needs a girlfriend... Anyone got an OC for that, send me a PM please! Any other squids will be accepted too! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Execution

Several hours later, the sun began to filter through the water, illuminating the darkness of the prison. With a shock, Sky realized that he and Ember had been talking all night. What had they talked about? It seemed like their conversation had reached every imaginable subject. Escape, Sky's encounter with Nelson, their hobbies… everything.

Well, Sky had talked about everything. Ember was far more tentative about personal matters, not wanting to talk about herself or her past. She was funny, though, adding a hint of levity to their otherwise dire situation. Sky was confident that she'd open up more once he got to know her better.

Ember looked exhausted, her eyelids drooping and her eyes bloodshot. However, that didn't make her one whit less hot in Sky's opinion. _Loverboy! _his brain teased. She glanced at him out of the corner of her sapphire eye.

"I think you have company," she warned. Sky looked out to the corridor and stifled a shriek. There, gazing at him with the utmost wonder in their eyes, were three squids, led by none other than Nelson.

"'Sup bro!" Nelson called. "Me and my friends, like, want some autographs."

"I'm not your bro, for the twentieth time!"

"Actually, it's the third. But we're chill, man. All cool." The irrepressible squid lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Hey, man, I'm tryna look cool in front of the lady. Got that?" He indicated the squid hanging back farthest from the cells, who was busily applying makeup with all eight tentacles.

"Who's she?" Sky asked.

"Bro, chill. I saw her first." Nelson winked, then went on. "She's Penelope. She's the cutest thing on this side of the ocean."

"It's _Ms. _Penelope to you!" she shrilled at Sky. "But my darling Nelsie can call me whatever he wants," she added as an afterthought, swimming over to Nelson and planting a kiss on his forehead. Nelson turned scarlet with happiness.

Sky couldn't help glancing at Ember, who was watching the exchange with a smirk on her face. What would it feel like to kis—No. No, Sky, don't go there. Nope. No way. Bad Sky. Very bad Sky.

"And who's your other friend?" Ember asked.

"Oh, that's Nick."

Nick glanced up. "Derp."

"Derp to you too," Sky said.

"Derp! Derp derp derp derp derp. Derp derp derp?" Sky stared at Nick, sure that this must be a joke. Nelson, perceptive for a squid, noticed Sky's confused expression.

"He's, like, a foreign reporter, and he wants an interview. Hey, bro, do you happen to speak Derp?" Nelson explained.

"What the hell? I'm not your bro! And what is Derp?"

"Derp! Derp derp derp!"

"Well said, Nick."

"Ohmyherobrine, Nelsie! Can we just get the autographs and go? I have to, totally, like, go to the _photo shoot_."

"Certainly, princess! Sky, we, like, need some autographs, 'cause the execution's going to be any minute."

"What!?" Sky shrieked.

"Yeah! You've been stalling. Now hurry up!"

"When is the execution, Nelson? I need to know!"

"Eh, General Caharison said sometime around this afternoon."

"General Caharison also said that no one was to approach the prisoners," boomed a voice from behind the squids.

* * *

**Sorry for not updating sooner! Family was visiting (am I the only one with too many cousins?) and there was no time to write... Thanks to my little brother (he also made Caharison) for Nick the derpy reporter, and to my mom for Penelope. I hope you're enjoying so far! Thanks for reading!**

Sky: Two bones to pick, Nafia- 1: I don't get to kiss Ember? and 2: Seriously? A cliffhanger? *slaps forehead* With how long it takes you to update...

Nafia: Ahem. Patience, Sky. Patience. And it was only one day. Chill.

Sky: Fine. But please tell me that this turns into a fluffy romance! *stares dreamily into space*

Nafia: *Facepalms* I'm outta here before this goes any farther. And why doesn't Ember ever show up for footnotes?

Nelson: The party starts now! Wait, where's everyone going?


	7. Goodbye

Tentacles sprouted from the back of the figure that swam gracefully into the corridor. He appeared to have no arms, and wore a strange sheath filled with eight swords on the front of his chestplate. The creature had normal human legs, eight sucker-covered arms, and a face that was a strange, disturbing hybrid of squid and human.

"Get out," he hissed at the squids, who scuttled away in terror.

"Who are you?" Sky said, his voice several octaves higher than usual.

"Caharison," Ember answered, her breath blowing softly against Sky's ear. "Be very careful."

"My identity won't trouble you for much longer, _Adam_. Your execution is scheduled for- let me think- now."

"Do I get a trial?" Sky squeaked, playing for time, a chance to make a plan. He hated to be called by his name. Adam. There was nothing unique about it. He wanted a name that no one else had. Sky. Sky was a much better name.

"Nope," the ex-alchemist said cheerfully. "And you too, love," he added, glancing at Ember.

She shuddered slightly as he threaded a tentacle through the cage wall, wrapping his slimy arm around her waist and pulling her against the bars. Ember struggled futilely against his iron grip.

"I'll take great pleasure in killing you slowly," he growled. Sky caught a glimpse of what looked like several huge claw marks across the general's body. It looked painful. Had Ember done that? "After what you did, I'll destroy you piece by piece."

"You won't hurt her if you want to survive," a low, deadly voice said, pure venom dripping off each word. With a jolt, Sky realized that it had been him talking. "I'll take an order of sushi, please." He snapped his fingers at an imaginary waiter with a grin.

His surge of bravado instantly vanished as the squid hybrid grabbed him around the neck. "I'd kill you now, insolent whelp, but the King wants the death of the Butter Warrior to be as public as possible." Sky tried to breathe, and failed. Choking, he scrabbled feebly at the tentacle that crushed his windpipe. The squid general had pressed both Ember and Sky against the bars. "Now come."

Caharison threw them both back against the far side of the cells. Ember landed gracefully on all fours like a cat, while Sky crashed to the floor with much less agility. Ouch. The doors to the cells were flung open, and several squids entered, dragging the two prisoners out, binding their hands and feet and tying Sky and Ember together.

"Don't fight," Ember whispered, her face buried in Sky's neck. "Trust me."

He reacted without thinking. Sky wrapped his bound hands around her neck, pulling her even closer. Their lips met in a kiss. She tasted so good, her skin holding the faintest hints of a perfume. Ember kissed him back, her hands catching ahold of his shirt, keeping him tightly against her.

Several squids turned away from the spectacle, covering their eyes. Caharison laughed. "A little too late," he snickered as he dragged the pair towards the center of the execution square.

Sky wasn't paying attention. He'd closed his eyes, feeling his heart racing in his chest, trying to get in as many beats as possible while he had the opportunity. Ember's heart seemed to be doing the same, and Sky felt every pulse until the squids pulled them apart.

"Ember," he whispered. "Stay. We'll get through this." He tried to give a brave smile.

"I know we will," she said. Her eyes were intense. "We will," she repeated.

"Brave words," Caharison sneered, turning to the Squid King. "My lord, the prisoners are here."

A roar came up from the crowd. "Slay the Butter Warrior! Slay him! Slay him! Slay him!" The chant swelled until it seemed to become a physical force, pressing in on Sky and Ember.

"General Caharison, you have my permission to proceed. Give us a show!" The Squid King's words were met by a shout of approval.

As the squid hybrid advanced on her, Ember turned to Sky. "Goodbye, Sky."

* * *

**Okay. I admit it. I'm evil. Cliffhangers are so fun though!**

Ember: Beg to differ!

Nafia: Ember, I'm afraid you don't get a say in the matter...

Ember: *leaves*

Sky: Seriously? You're going to kill off Ember? *eyes widen in shock* You wouldn't!

Nafia: Sky, I don't want to talk about it. Especially not while I'm still in maniac mode from another cliffhanger. Anyway, how are you sure that she isn't some evil agent of Herobrine? Didn't you ever learn about stranger danger?

Sky: But...but... but... I'm in love! *stares dreamily into space (again)*

Nafia: That's how she's gonna get you... I'm done here. *leaves*


	8. Scales: Part 1

"Goodbye, Sky." However, Ember's eyes danced with a wicked light. Caharison drew a sword, pulling it back, his face shining with an evil, gleeful light.

And suddenly, Ember wasn't there. A black circle appeared behind Sky, and she re-materialized beside him. "Ember? What's going on?"

"No time. Distract him!" She raised her hands above her head and shouted several words that Sky couldn't understand. Maybe she was speaking Derp.

Caharison roared and charged at her. "Hey, fishfood!" Sky called. "Over here!"

The general turned his head away from Ember, moving swiftly to Sky. "You can't save her," he growled. "But how very chivalrous of you."

"Cama Wispice Aradyn Rosewing! Nkaya!" Why was Ember yelling gibberish? It made no sense. Caharison smiled at Sky, who writhed against his bonds as the demented creature raised its sword. And then the building exploded.

Sky was sent flying, his head smashing against a rock. Sparkles trailed over his vision, and he felt… _fuzzy_. It was distracting, to say the least.

"What took you guys so long? Get your butts over here!" Ember shouted. Her voice could just be heard over the din that came from the startled squids.

"Don't get your tail in a tizzy, Em," a voice boomed. "It was kind of a last minute summoning."

"Rose, I know." Ember sighed. "Now can you kill squids? Please?"

Rose, whoever that was, snorted. "Sure thing. I'm glad they put you in an open air area. This could be a lot harder."

"Rose! Less talking, more popping!" a new voice said.

"You're one to say that, Ara! How many have you got so far?"

"I've splatted thirty and I'm still counting," Ara said calmly. "Take your own advice, Rosewing, and keep your tail on."

"Ember, is it alright to just throw them out? I don't want to kill them."

Ember sighed loudly, and Sky swore he felt the room fill with heat as she exhaled. "Alright, Wisp, just don't get hurt trying to keep them… intact."

What in the name of butter was going on? Who were these people? Why were they here? How did they know Ember?

However, a more pressing problem presented itself in the form of Caharison. The squid general was already clambering to his feet, each of his tentacles grabbing for a sword. His squidlike eyes narrowed, catching sight of Sky, who lay against a rock, still trying to clear his head. Uh-oh.

Sky struggled to climb to his feet as Caharison stalked towards him, all swords out. It was a horrifying sight, and Sky couldn't suppress a scream of fear. _I'm in trouble now. No sword? Check. Head recently bashed on a rock? Check. Angry squid monster? Why me?_

Caharison neared. "If I'm going down, you can join me." His swords raised high above Sky's head.

"Nah, not today," Ember's newly amplified voice thundered. Huge black talons were clutched around the rock that kept Caharison and Sky separate from the main room, and then the boulder had been lifted up, tossed far to the side. "Damn it, Sky, why can't you be easy to protect?"

* * *

**I hope you've been enjoying so far! I want to thank peoples for the OCs I got for this chapter, so here goes: Thank XxCelestiaMCxX for Rosewing (Rose), and for convincing DrunkRussianAni to send in Wispice (Wisp). Also, my thanks to orchidlove123 for Aradyn (Ara). I think that's everyone for this chapter. And, oh yeah, I need to give a shoutout to my little brother. He keeps me inspired to write and I love him with all my heart (even if he is an annoying little stinkpot). Thanks, as always, for reading, and for all the OCs that have been submitted!**


	9. Scales: Part 2

"Damn it, Sky, why can't you be easy to protect?" A huge black dragon stood in the center of the room, glaring at Sky. Speaking in Ember's voice.

"What's that?" a pale blue dragon called. Her eyes were stormy, and intricate spirals of white and navy blue swirled across her scales.

"Oh, Em's just being dramatic, Ara," said the biggest of the dragons, her pink-edged scarlet wings flaring out as she spoke from where she stood on a lump of masonry, breathing fire out across the fleeing squids. "Couldn't you tell?"

"Rose, chill. Ara was just asking," a light green dragon said mildly. Next to Rose and… the dragon they called Ember (Sky wasn't going to believe that it was Ember just yet), who filled the room with coils of tails and wings, this dragon was barely bigger than a horse, tail twitching, every flick sending squids flying in trails of ink.

"I know, Wisp. _I'm just teasing_," Rose groaned.

"Didn't sound like it," the black dragon said, again with Ember's voice. " But"—the Ember-dragon's eyes widened. "Watch out!" She brought her tail whipping around, smashing into Caharison's chest and sending the squid hybrid crashing against a column. Caharison jumped to his feet, enraged.

"Wisp, you stay by Adam. Get him out of here if this gets bad. Rose, Ara, you guys come with me. Let's toast some squid butt!" Ember inhaled deeply as the squid charged her, and when he was close to being able to reach her with his swords, she exhaled, purple fire spraying from her jaws, circling around the hybrid.

Caharison roared angrily, but appeared to be only a little singed. Sighing out her frustration, Ember snapped her mouth shut. Aradyn hovered a few feet above the squid, evading his swipes by only a hairsbreadth each time. She exhaled, and ice sprayed from her mouth, trapping the deranged alchemist in a prison of frost.

With a punch, Caharison shattered the cage, shards of ice flying. Rosewing, Aradyn, and Ember manage to dodge, but Wispice was struck in the side by one glittering piece. She roared, green lightning crackling around her teeth. "Okay, _now_ I want to kill something!"

Caharison stepped forward, slicing his swords at Ember's foreleg. She dodged and swiped her clawed paw at him, batting him against the column. "Wisp, don't get into this," she warned.

Rosewing swatted at Caharison with her spiked tail, but the squid dodged. "Hold still! Ara, can I get a little freeze ray here?"

"Fools! You are no match for me!" The squid sheathed two swords and reached for some pockets that Sky hadn't noticed before.

"Rose, get out of there!" Rosewing just had time to take to the air before a potion landed where she'd been standing a moment ago, spraying poisonous vapors everywhere.

The dragon shivered. "Holy Herobrine, that was close."

The black dragon—Ember?—snorted. "You think? Aradyn, make sure Wisp is okay. Rosewing, make sure that Adam stays in one piece." Ember stretched out her wings, each one ten times as long as Sky was tall, and jumped into the air. The force from every downbeat sent Caharison staggering.

"You're going to do the thing?" Rose squeaked, looking slightly alarmed.

"I think she's going to do the thing!" Aradyn shouted.

"Crap!" Wispice rose to her feet. "Does she know the thing might end up killing the Adam guy?"

Sky stared up at Ember. Her scales were glowing purple, shimmering with eerie light. Her form was flickering, sometimes dragon, and sometimes the human girl he'd fallen for. Ember laughed, fire dripping down from her mouth. "I can control it now, guys!"

"Yeah, right!" they all yelled at her.

"Exactly," Ember huffed. "Now watch out!"

Sky couldn't remember much after that. Purple. Extreme, searing heat. The screeches of Caharison. The roars of the dragons. The building collapsing even further. Water spraying everywhere. Huge chunks of stone and lapis falling around him. And then, there was only darkness.

* * *

**Hey... Sorry I didn't update sooner. Lucky me, I just got really, really sick (a fun way to spend the last portion of summer vacay). I have a throbbing headache and... I'm not going to bother y'all with the details. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! I know I've enjoyed writing this. Please R&R, and follow this story if you like it!**

Sky: Why do I always black out?

Nafia: Because it's convenient for the author.

Sky: That's hardly fair. What'd I ever do?

Nafia: The building just got exploded by a dragon, who also happens to be your mega-crush. You are unconscious, so shut up and... why do I have these debates in the author's note?

Nelson: I still haven't gotten my autograph!

Both: Silence!


	10. All a Dream?

Sky awoke with a jolt. Whaaaaaaa? Where was he?

He was lying down in a very comfortable bed. A window was open, letting the gentle sunlight filter down onto his face. The walls were a deep shade of purple, and the room smelled lightly of jasmine. The same scent that Ember always had.

Unfortunately, none of this answered his question. He was in a strange room, and every inch of him ached. Sky tugged off his shirt to get a better look at the injuries. Woah. Those were some serious bruises, his chest a mottled green and purple hue. That would explain why it hurt so much to breathe.

Again, where was he? Fighting against the pain, he stood up, and, wincing with every step, walked over to the door. It slid open easily, and Sky stepped out into the hall. The hallway, too, was purple, with a jet black floor. He wandered around aimlessly for a while.

Sky was at the top of a stairwell when he paused. What was that? He could smell… _food_. Food! Sky hadn't eaten for several days and was starving. His energy renewed, he sprinted down the stairs, tripping over the last step and crashing onto the ground. Ow. _Stupid feet_.

Footsteps approached, and Sky caught a glimpse of black boots. "A little impatient, are we?" Ember laughed. "Or just hungry?"

Sky suddenly forgot about his stomach. All he knew was that he'd just spazzed out in front of the girl who he'd kissed the night before. The girl who was also a dragon. Scrambling to his feet, he stared at her. "Where's your tail?" _Oh. Very clever._

She laughed again. "My _what_?"

"You're a dragon. I saw you! You exploded the building, and you had a bunch of other dragons. Rose… and…and Wisp, and Ara? Remember?"

Ember frowned, her eyebrows scrunching together. "Sky… that never happened."

"I saw it!"

"No, Sky, I think you must have been dreaming. You've been unconscious for two days. Your head got hit hard." She giggled, and Sky felt his brain start to melt out his ears. Gah, she was cute. "Nice story, though. I wonder what made you dream that?"

"Ember, I wasn't dreaming!"

She smiled. "Whatever you say." Clearly, she didn't believe him. Either she wasn't a dragon or… Okay. She wasn't a dragon. That definitely made more sense than the alternative.

"How did we get out of the prison?"

"I stole a sword, and cut us both loose. Then, when I was fighting the alchemist, some of his potion bottles broke, and they exploded the building. I guess there could've been something that made you think there were dragons out there. Anyway, after the building went down, I swam you to the surface and brought you to my house."

Again, it made far more sense than the 'my crush is a dragon' theory. "I guess it's possible."

"It's not _possible_, Sky, it's what happened." She shrugged. "Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the reason for your crash landing is that you smelled food?"

Sky's stomach talked for him.

"I'll take that as a yes." Ember rolled her eyes. "What do you want to eat?"

"Umm… fooooood?"

* * *

**Hey, Nafia here, and I have something I need to say: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! I can't believe that this story has gotten over 600 views; honestly, I never really imagined that anyone would want to read what I write. This is amazing!**

**On a side note, I have bad news. School is starting tomorrow. This is bad. Very bad. It'll mean earlier bedtimes and earlier wake-up calls, so less time for writing. Want good news? I get to do free writing, and fanfics count (or they will, as soon as I convince my teacher)! Plus, chappies will be getting longer 'cause I need 1,000 to 2,000 words per day... or more!**

**So, updates will continue throughout the schoolyear. I hope you guys are enjoying this story, and thanks for reading!**


	11. A Goddess

**Fluff Alert! Beware! Sky has been pestering me... XD**

* * *

"You need caffeine," Ember said, eying Sky appraisingly. She poured a cup of coffee for him and a glass of water for herself, then indicated the couch for him to sit on, plopping down next to Sky.

Sky sipped the dark liquid gratefully. "Thanks."

"No problem, zombie boy." Her grin was infectious.

"Hey!"

"What? I'm being honest."

"I beg to differ!" Sky protested.

"Hmm." She leaned closer. "Nah. You're green, for one thing."

"So?"

"So that's usually an indicator of zombiness."

"Or having been attacked by a crazy squid."

"Eh, it was more like a building crashing on top of you. Don't be so melodramatic."

"Still, that's fairly impressive, wouldn't you agree, Em?" He didn't know what prompted him to use the nickname, and as soon as he said it, he regretted it.

"_Em_?" she said, staring at Sky with an incredulous expression. "_Em_?"

"What? That's what the dragons called you."

"Your dream dragons called me _Em_?"

When she put it that way, it sounded absurd. "Yeah?"

"Nice. So, what all happened in your fantasy?"

"Where should I start?" He didn't know where he'd begun the delusions. Was it when Ember had begun to teleport, or… Or was it sometime before their kiss? Had he just imagined that, too?

"Once we were in the… execution arena."

Sky told her everything he remembered, from her teleportion to the dragons. The only omissions he had took were of his real name, Adam, and of the kiss. However, he had to ask. Sky had to know. "Did—did we kiss?"

Ember looked up from where she'd been fiddling with the hem of her shirt to meet Sky's gaze. Her pale blue eyes searched his dark ones. "Yes. Do you mind?"

"No," he said. "I really, really don't."

"Good," she said. "Because I think I'm going to kiss you again."

"I wouldn't mind that, either…" Even he would admit that that sounded desperate.

She laughed. "Glad to hear it." Ember pressed her lips to Sky's. He wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close, feeling her icy skin as her arms brushed against his neck. It felt impossibly good to be falling so hard for this girl. She was more than a girl. She was a goddess, his goddess, the person who had his heart in the palm of her hand. _Fluffhead_, the part of his brain that was still functioning groaned. _Shaddup brain!_ the rest of him shouted. He didn't want anyone, including his own head, to annoy him in this perfect moment.

Sky's mouth opened slightly, deepening the kiss. Ember moved closer, her lips parting slightly in response to his. He could feel his pulse accelerate as she ran her tongue lightly over his lower lip, her hands tangling in Sky's hair and pulling him towards her. He sat up all the way, tilting her head slightly back. Kissing her was so—_right_, absolutely right. And he didn't want to ever stop.

* * *

**Warning: next chapter is fluffy too... Thanks to everyone who reads this! I hope you guys are enjoying the cover image (I made it yesterday, which is why the chappie was so late). If you look closely, you'll see his sword is very clearly labelled XD (no idea why I decided to label it "BUDDER SWORD", but I did). Follow if you like!**

Sky: Yay! More fluff! *grins ear to ear*

Nafia: Again: Stranger. Danger. Your brain is right, you are a fluffhead.

Sky: *is staring into space*

Nafia: ...?

Sky: *is still staring into space*

Nafia: *sneaks up behind Sky* Budder!

Sky: Wha? Budder! Budder! Gimme mah budder!

Nafia: At least that still works... See you next chapter!


	12. Caught

**Fluffiness continues in this chapter! There is nothing really explicit in here, if that would be a problem. Read on!**

* * *

Unfortunately, he had to breathe. As he pulled back for air, she opened her eyes. For a split second, Sky would've sworn that they were purple. Then they reverted to their usual color. She blinked, relaxing in his arms. "You're a good kisser," she muttered, almost to herself.

Sky raised an eyebrow. "You've had experience?"

Ember almost purred, batting her eyelashes. "Do I _look_ like I'd have kissed a lot of people?"

The honest answer was yes. She was definitely cute enough. However, Sky suspected that that wasn't what was he was supposed to say. There was hardly a right answer to that, Sky thought. "I would guess that you'd have had quite a few guys willing to kiss you. And stop that!" Ember was slowly tracing the pattern of veins in his arm, and it made him tickle.

She laughed. "Make me."

Sky shoved Ember playfully, pushing her over. She picked a pillow off the couch and threw it at him, scrambling out of his reach and onto the floor. "Was that a challenge?" he called as she danced away. Ember smirked.

"Of course!"

"Then I accept!" Sky shouted, hurling another pillow at her. She bounded away, running through the hall.

"Catch me if you can!"

Sky gave chase, soon losing sight of her in the maze of unfamiliar halls. He followed the sound of her footsteps, the _crash_ of doors slamming. Occasionally he'd catch a sight of her long black hair as she whipped around a corner, or see a door fly closed. It was only ever the tiniest glimpse, and soon he couldn't find her at all.

He stepped cautiously into a corridor. Several doors branched off, all closed. Now that he'd paused, he realized the strangest thing about this house- there were no pictures of anyone anywhere in the place. No family portraits, no greeting cards, no… anything, really. It was unusual, since all the homes Sky had ever been to had at least one such picture.

However, he'd never been in a girl's house before. Maybe they were different from boy houses. He'd definitely noticed a distinct lack of dirty underwear lying around. Sky might have to speak to Team Crafted about that. As far as he was concerned, it was an improvement.

But there were more pressing matters to attend to. He had to find Ember. Sky flung open one door. Oh. This was where his room was. He'd have to remember that. Another door led to an elevator. That would be helpful, too. He'd have to study the wiring. Maybe they could add one at Sky Army headquarters when he returned. The third door led to an empty closet.

It was the fourth door that proved the correct one. He opened it to see Ember crouching against the wall, which was the same color as the purple and black tiled floor. She groaned when she saw him. "Dang it. I shouldn't have tried to hide here."

"Does this mean I win?" Sky grinned. Ember had picked the room without any escape routes.

She shrugged resignedly. "You still have to catch me."

Sky had hardly taken more than two steps when his feet slid out from underneath him. "Shit!"he howled as his feet hit the ceiling, leaving him dangling upside down.

"Nice stunt." Ember chuckled as she walked forward, being careful to only touch the black tiles, and looked down at Sky, who flailed like a hooked fish in the snare trap.

"Very funny."

"It _was_ very funny. And would this mean that_ I_ win?"

"Yes," he mumbled.

"I can't hear you," she half-sang.

"Yes! You win, you evil little trickster!"

Smirking, she fiddled with something he couldn't see, and there was a loud grinding of gears as the trap holding Sky opened, releasing him. Ember caught him as he fell, Sky yelling as many expletives as he could think of during the short drop. "I always win."

"You win because you chea-mmph!" Ember shut him up with a kiss, blotting out whatever he was going to say.

"You were saying?" she said when she came up for air, her eyes again flashing the strange purple for a half heartbeat. It was cute, Sky decided.

"That I've never met anyone who makes me feel this way." And, as cheesy as it sounded, he meant every word.

* * *

**I hope you are enjoying! Thanks for reading this story- it's at over 700 views! Wow!**

Sky: I would never walk into something as obviously a trap as _that_.

Nafia: Um. You just did.

Sky: Unfair. I was young! Naive!

Nafia: Mmmhmm.

Sky: I was!

Nafia: Nah. You were just being dumb.

Sky: ...


	13. Eleven

Sky could feel Ember's head resting on his collarbone, her hands wrapped around his waist. They'd been sitting this way, talking, for hours. It was amazing how much there was to talk about, with no awkward silences between them (the only silences were filled with kisses). She was such a good listener, and seemed to enjoy every second of their time together. Sky knew _he_ was enjoying this.

"So, we'd fallen into this huge pit, and of course we couldn't climb out, so we had to keep going. It was insane! Jason, Ty, and I all had to parkour through this obstacle course, and it had so many traps…" He'd been telling her about the time that Le Troll Squid had taken Ty captive.

She frowned. "Who are Ty and Jason?" Oops. He'd been calling them their aliases before that.

"Oh, the other names are pseudonyms. Deadlox is Ty, and TrueMU is Jason."

"Strange aliases. What's 'MU'? And I thought Deadlox had been captured and that's why you were on this mission anyway."

"His hologram was helping us."

She rolled her eyes. "That makes sense."

"Logic is overrated."

"Agreed." Sky could feel as Ember laughed beside him. Her hand traced up his spine to the base of his neck and back down, over and over, slowly. If he were a cat, he'd be purring.

"It was absolutely insane, even if you don't bother with logic. Butter creepers, jungle squids, everything. And of course almost the whole thing was two hundred feet above ground. Plus, Deadlox didn't exactly act like wanted to be rescued."

"How so?"

"We found some magic snowballs, and he kept throwing them at me."

She laughed again, raising one eyebrow. "I wonder what you did to deserve _that_?"

Sky made the most innocent expression he could manage. "Me too." He knew, actually. Maybe it hadn't been such a great plan to snipe his friend's hologram mid-jump. Oh well.

Ember smirked. "I bet."

He told her about the rest of that adventure, occasionally embellishing it with extra details to make it seem more impressive. He really wanted Ember to think that he was cool. She was paying close attention, nodding and gasping in all the right places. Sky grew ever more animated as he went on, his hands flying as he talked. Perhaps flying too much.

"Ack!" He'd accidentally punched her in the jaw. Before he could apologize, she was laughing. "Nice. Watch out with those bricks you call hands!"

"Oops…"

"Yeah." Ember poked him in the ribs, and he winced. "Sorry. Still a little sore?"

"Ow. Yeah. Watch out with that talon you call a finger!"

She froze for a second, then grinned. "Good comeback." Just then, a clock clanged somewhere. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven chimes. Each tick sent a new tremor through Ember as she leaned against Sky.

Ember sat back, moving away from him. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

Her face was rapidly draining of color, eyes seeming to grow in her head. "Umm…"

"What's wrong?" Sky had sat up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"I need to—to—I need to go!" She slid away from his hand, stepping over to the floor.

"Go? It's eleven at night!"

She took a deep breath, shaking slightly. "Yes. I know, _I know_ it's eleven at night."

"Then where are you going?"

"Sky, I can't… I can't say." She was at the door, slipping on a jacket, pulling on a pair of shoes. When she flung the door open, a huge gust of wind blew in, ruffling Sky's hair.

"_Why_ can't you say? Ember, what's going on?" He'd crossed the room, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Let me help. Whatever it is, I can help you."

"Not with this." Ember ran out the door, Sky following her. He grabbed her arm, and she yanked away. "Sky, _let me go_."

"Ember, please tell me what the hell is going on!"

She shuddered, and instinctively he brought her into a hug, folding her shaking body against his. "I'm sorry, Sky. I can't tell you. I just… If I told you, there'd be hell to pay. I'll be back in the morning, I swear. Please just turn around and go back to the house. Stay there. Please."

He stared at her, running his fingers through her hair, keeping Ember against his side. "Trust me, Ember. I can keep a secret."

"Trust _me_, Sky, and believe me when I say you need to go back." She gazed up at him, and he couldn't resist those perfect, tear-filled purple eyes. Wait a minute… Weren't Ember's eyes blue? But it hardly mattered. Nothing did, except that he needed to listen to what she was saying. Trust. Trust her. Obey Ember at all costs.

"Of course," Sky muttered, releasing her and returning to the house. Once he'd shut the door, he wondered why he'd agreed so easily. Shouldn't he have asked for more information? Why hadn't he? Why was he in the house? What had just happened?

* * *

**The adventure that they refer to in this chapter is actually a real video, Epic Jump Map Butter Edition, I think. I hope you guys are enjoying this story! It's gotten almost 1,000 views! This is so awesome! Thank you for reading!**


	14. Midnight Strikes

Sky stayed awake, waiting for Ember to return. He was confident that she'd return to her senses and come back soon enough. At least, he hoped she would.

A roar snapped him out of his stupor. The sound shook the room, the very foundations of the building shivering. It came again, nearer this time. And again. Each time it was louder, closer. The vibrations sent Sky staggering.

When the sounds stopped, Sky dared to creep over to the window, staring out into the dark. A full, brilliant white moon shone down from the heavens, its radiance the only source of light. In other words, it looked like a perfectly normal night.

Wait a minute… Something was moving. A collection of small figures was running along the horizon. At this distance, Sky couldn't see all the details, but they looked familiar. Who—Oh, shit. It was the team. He didn't want to think about what… whatever was out there… would to them. And Ember! What had happened to her? There was no way that she'd survive it.

Sky's train of thought was cut off by a roar. It shook him to the floor. Scrambling up again, he stared out the window—and into the sole of something's foot. A scaled, clawed paw was sitting on the glass. Even as he watched, the creature tensed and jumped into the air. Sky could see the being clearly now. It was an enormous black dragon.

The dragon flew swiftly towards the distant figures of Team Crafted. It roared again, and this time Sky could detect a note of savage glee in the call. Screams reached Sky, and he could recognize the voices of Ty and Jason. This was bad.

Sky flung open the door. "Hey! Hey, you overgrown reptile! Over here! Bet you can't catch me!" He continued to shout, making as much noise as he could.

The dragon wheeled, flying higher, reaching the cloud height. Sky could barely see its faint silhouette. He turned to his friends, who were slowly getting closer. "Guys! Run!"

A high pitched keening drew his attention back to the dragon. A purple halo surrounded it, the glow intensifying by the second. "Foolsss," the dragon growled.

"Aww, look! The cuddly little dwagon can talk. It's so cute!" Oops. _Why, Sky, why did you have to say that? _His insult had immediate and disastrous results.

The 'cuddly dwagon' hissed in a breath, then unleashed a torrent of purple flame from its jaw. Meanwhile, the purple halo exploded outward. Sky had just enough time to jump behind the door, swinging it closed, before the fire reached him. Smoke curled out from the edges of the window, which were glowing from the heat.

When Sky opened the door, he expected to see the ground on fire. Or at least the ground. The purple halo had obliterated the first dozen or so layers of earth, leaving the house sitting on a sort of hilltop. An obsidian staircase led up to the door, clearly having been built in anticipation of this sort of event. Sky could see Ty and Jason crouching on the ground on the other side of the crater left by whatever… thing… the dragon had done.

"Come on, guys! Get over here!" Sky whisper-shouted. The dragon was nowhere to be seen, and Sky hoped that it stayed that way.

Jason shook his head and pointed at something over Sky's head. Turning slowly, Sky realized that the dragon had landed on the roof and was intently searching the trench around the house for survivors. "Come out," the dragon hissed to itself. "Come out. Yesssssssss. Come to me." A sound that might have been a chuckle came from its throat, purple fire dripping out of its mouth.

The sound of someone crashing down distracted the dragon from its muttering. Jason had slipped and crashed into the trench, landing with a shriek of pain. "Aha!" the dragon laughed, its exclamation turning to a gurgling chortle. It lowered its head, baring its teeth at Jason.

Ty drew his sword and jumped at the dragon's neck. He scored a long gash, tearing through scales into the muscle beneath. The dragon roared, trying to turn around and bite Ty, who climbed around onto the dragon's neck, out of reach of the fangs, and stabbed the monster again.

The dragon swiped at Ty with its paw, but missed. "Why are you hitting yourself?" Ty crowed.

The dragon howled in outrage and pain, spinning around, spraying blood everywhere. Ty hung on until he was near enough to the ground to jump off. The dragon, roaring, leapt into the air, flying away.

"Ty!" Sky called, running down the stairs to his friend. "How the hell did you do that?"

"Without your help!" Ty called back. "Can you carry Jason in? I don't think he can walk." Sky agreed. It looked like his ankle had been broken during his fall.

"Sure. How did you guys find me? What have I missed? Is Seto…" Sky didn't dare to finish the last question.

"Answers later. I want to bask in glory for a little while." They set Jason on the couch, and Sky pulled over some chairs.

"Alright, you've basked in glory. Now answers!"

Ty laughed. "How we found you: a girl was out in the field, and we asked if there was a place we could stop for the night. She said no and to run as far away as possible, which was weird, but when we told her our names, she told us that there might be a friend of ours here. Weird kid. But really hot."

"Totally, ridiculously hot," Jason added from the couch. "And I saw her first."

This sounded familiar. "What did she say her name was?"

Ty thought for a minute. "I think it was Ember."

Sky snorted. "Then I saw her first." The disappointment on Jason's face was evident. "This is her house. She left about two hours ago."

"Darn it. She was most definitely cute. How'd you end up staying with her?"

"My questions first."

Ty threw his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. So on to question two. What have you missed? Nothing. Unless Jason was up to something I don't know about."

"I wasn't. You have all the fun, Sky."

"I'd hardly call it fun."

"You've been hanging out with possibly the hottest girl I've ever seen, Sky. That isn't fun?"

"No comment. But where's Seto?" This was the question that they'd all been dreading.

Jason looked at Ty. "We haven't heard anything."

"What about Husky? Bonks? Mitch? Have any of them gotten any news?"

"No, Sky. It's like Seto's gone."

Seto had gone to the End, hoping to gather some components for spells. He hadn't been heard from since. They all knew that if Seto were alive, he'd find a way to send a message. Now they could do nothing but hope blindly.

"Ian?"

"He might have, but his Derp Side is in control right now, so there's no way we'd know." Sky groaned. Derp Ssundee was a pain in the neck.

Jason punched Sky in the arm. "Broken ankle notwithstanding, I am going to kick your ass into the next chunk if you don't tell us what's happened. Do not leave out any details involving girls."

Ty punched Jason. "He doesn't have to tell. But he can. Please?"

* * *

**Sorry for not updating yesterday! I was in a car all day, so... fun. Thanks for reading, as always! Please leave a review, and follow or fave if you like this story!**


	15. Return

Sky, Jason and Ty had been talking for hours when the door opened and Ember stepped in.

"Em!" Sky called, running over to her.

"Hey, Sky!" Ember said, pulling him into a hug. Despite her enthusiasm, she seemed exhausted, her shoulders slumped. "So you guys found my house?" she added, glancing at Ty and Jason.

"Yeah, as I guess you can see," Ty answered. "Did you notice the dragon?"

"Dragon? Who didn't notice?" She grinned tiredly.

"Exactly. Anyway, we fought it off. I almost killed it singlehandedly," Ty said, ignoring the daggers that Sky's eyes were spraying.

Far from seeming to impress Ember, the news turned her gaze to ice. "Indeed," she muttered, turning to Jason. Ty looked confused by her reaction. "You broke your ankle. How?"

"Well, I jumped for the beast, but it moved too quickly for me to follow."

Sky decided to intervene at this point. "Actually, Jason tripped and fell into a giant pit." Ember stared at Sky, her eyes amused.

"Hey!" Jason shouted from the couch.

Ember leaned forward, her lips on Sky's ear. "Jealous," she whispered, a barely suppressed laugh in her voice. "Silly." She cupped his face in her hands, pulling him into a kiss. "They'll never impress me," he felt her say as they kissed. "No need to worry."

When they broke apart, Sky realized that blood was running down Ember's neck. "You're hurt." She stepped back, already shaking her head.

"It's only a little scratch. I'll just use a healing potion." Catching her arm, he pulled her close.

"Ember, you _are_ hurt, and no matter what you say, I am going to take care of you. So don't tell me that it's a little scratch, because little scratches don't bleed like that."

"No matter what I say?" she asked, expression unreadable.

"No matter what you say, so you might as well shut up and listen to me."

She smirked. "In what universe would I shut up?"

"Sit down," Sky ordered, plunking her into a chair. Ty looked at him, a grin crossing from ear to ear as Ember sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, Mom," she muttered. However, she stayed sitting down, a smile starting to work its way onto her face as Sky pecked her gently on the forehead.

"Now where the hell are the freaking healing potions?"

"Don't cuss in front of the lady!" Jason yelled.

"Yeah! What kind of gentleman are you?" Ty added loudly.

Sky smiled evilly. "The one who knows the exact details of where you were last Halloween and precisely what happened the subsequent morning."

Ty's face went red. "No need to go there."

"Glad to hear it! Now does anyone know where the potions are?" Sky had flung open several cabinets, pawing through the contents in a vain search.

Ember grinned. "I do, but I'm not allowed to move."

"Tell me where!" Sky was getting very frustrated by this point.

"But Doctor Sky, I thought I shouldn't be talking!" Ty and Jason were both sniggering.

Sky opened another cabinet. _Thank Notch_. He'd gotten the right one. Pulling out a healing potion and a small container of a healing balm, he walked over to his impertinent patient. He tossed the healing potion to Jason, who caught it with one hand.

"Thank you, Doc Sky!" Jason shouted. Ty smacked him so Sky didn't have to.

"Don't disturb the doctor," he warned in an undertone. "This is a most difficult case."

"He'll probably need to use mouth-to-mouth," Jason suggested. "It might help."

"Definitely. We should observe his technique."

Jason looked offended. "Just because you never kiss anyone doesn't mean I don't."

"Touché, my friend. Touché."

Sky tried to tune out their jabbering. "Where are you hurt?"

Ember rolled her blue eyes. "I told you I'm fine." She moved as though to stand up, and Sky caught her shoulder, pushing her back into a sitting position.

"And I told you that that isn't an answer. Tell me, so I can help." He moved a piece of long black hair off of her face, stroking her jaw. She closed her eyes and leaned against him, falling into Sky's embrace. Behind them, he could hear the sounds of Ty and Jason scuffling. But that didn't matter.

"Well?" he asked again, still holding Ember.

She opened her azure eyes, searching his gaze. "Doctor Sky, it's my neck. It hurts." Despite the joking nature of her words, he could see that it was, indeed, hurting.

Ember flinched as he pulled her hair away from her neck. The blood had matted her hair into the cuts, which had partially clotted, making for a sticky mess. Sky grabbed a washcloth to clean away the worst of the blood. It was as though someone had taken a tiny sword to her neck and tried to sever her head.

The deepest injury was a puncture. Every time Sky tried to clean out the blood, Ember jumped, and he could see the tightening of her jaw as she repressed a whimper. "It's alright. Em, I just need to clean out this one cut, and it'll be over. Okay?"

"Okay." She was a statue as Sky tried to clean the wound.

"It's like there's something in there… Hold on. I need to pull whatever it is out." She nodded, mouth set in a tiny, hard line. It must hurt. Sky had gotten several splinters before, but this looked more painful than any he'd ever had.

He reached for a pair of tweezers, pulling at the object. Ember couldn't suppress a squeak of pain as it finally dislodged. Moving it into a better light, Sky frowned. It looked like a bent piece of metal. However, once he saw the veins that ran across it, he realized that it was something different. It was a jet black scale.

Ember clutched at her neck, breaking through his preoccupation, and Sky's stomach twisted into a knot. Fresh blood was pouring out of her neck, right where the scale had been. "Jason! Ty! Get me a healing potion! Right now!"

Ty passed him the bottle within a few seconds. "Em, you need to drink this," Sky ordered.

She did so, and the bleeding slowed somewhat, down to a thin trickle. "Something wrong?" she asked.

"Umm."

"Yeah, Sky can't actually fix more than a papercut," Jason announced. "Don't worry, I'm here. I am da masta docta!"

Sky wrapped a bandage around Ember's neck, as he and Ty looked at each other and began to snort. "Really? 'Da masta docta' is your new title?"

"What? It's a good title!" With that, Jason and Ty were back to their squabbling.

Sky could see the rose of red blooming in the center of the bandage. "Ember, you should get to sleep. You're exhausted and losing blood."

She shook her head. "I don't want to sleep." Ember glanced at the scale. "What's that?"

"I can explain later. I refuse to have a conversation with you until you rest for a while." Sky stood up, meaning to walk away. A hand intertwining with his stopped him.

"Fine. But stay," she whispered. Sky smiled at Ember and sat back down.

"Of course." Her eyes closed even as he spoke. She looked so peaceful, compared to…

"I like- ow!- pizza!" Ty shrieked. "Don't judge me!"

* * *

**I think I need a disclaimer, saying that if I accidentally offend any boys with the portrayal of their gender, it isn't my fault that I was born a girl. I've based this off what happens when my friends and I hang out (though usually there are more explosions). Any tips on how to make my guy characters more guy-ish would be great! Thanks for reading! If you have the time, please leave a review. They help me to improve as a writer, and that means so much to me! Thanks again!**


	16. Seto

"Ow!" Sky yelped as Jason flung a pillow at him. "Ty, I thought you were my backup!"

"Oh, sorry. I'm such a terrible person." Ty aimed a kick at Jason, who dodged into Sky's pillow.

"Hey! No teaming!" Jason jumped back, out of reach of their weapons. "Ty! Stop it!"

"We agreed the only rule was that there are no rules! You can't just change it because you don't like it!"

"Exactly!" Ty shouted. "Whatever Sky said!"

"You guys only remember that rule since you like it! Not fair! There are more of you!"

"Since when do we play fair?" Ty asked, dodging Jason. "You should have joined teams when you had the chance."

"I have you now!" Sky shouted, making his voice as Darth Vader-y as possible. He lunged for Jason, who threw his hands over his head.

"Alright! You win! You win!"

Ty did a victory dance while Sky went to check on Ember. To his surprise, her eyes were open, and she was watching with an amused smile on her face. Sky walked over and sat down beside Ember, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She greeted him with a kiss.

"Are you feeling better?" Sky asked as he pulled away.

"I guess," she said.

"We need to talk, about what was in that… injury."

Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "What do you mean?"

"It was a scale." Ty and Jason were now back to the pillow fight, spontaneously yelling battle cries. In short, though, they weren't paying attention, and that was what Sky needed. "How did a scale end up in your neck?"

"I don't know."

Sky somehow didn't quite believe that. She was scared to tell him, he realized. "You can trust me. Ember, would I hurt you?"

She hesitated. "I don't think so."

"Would I betray you?"

"No…"

"Do you trust me?"

Ember pressed back against his arm, letting her head sit on his shoulder. "Do I need to answer?"

"Fair enough. Can you tell me what you were doing that night when the dragon attacked, or at least how the scale ended up in your neck?"

She went stiff. "I don't want to talk about that." Her eyes were cast down at the carpet, which she was repeatedly scuffing with her foot.

Sky sighed. It didn't make sense. If there was a problem, shouldn't everyone know about it? Then everyone could help. He'd never really understood why people would ever want to go through solving something on their own. He was saved from having to respond by a loud hum emanating from the center of the room.

Ty and Jason dropped their pillows and backed away as a glowing silhouette appeared. "Hello! Is anyone there! Hello! Hello?" it shouted in a very familiar voice.

"Seto!" Sky called. "Over here!"

Seto's hologram sighed. Some details had become more obvious as the spell took stronger hold. Sky could see the cloak that Seto always wore, and that new scars now lined his friend's face. "I can't actually see anyone."

"Where are you? What's been going on?"

"I only have a bit of time, Sky. I'm in the End, and there's no way for me to get out. In short, I'm very much stuck. I've survived so far, but I'm not sure how much longer I can last. This is most likely goodbye."

"What?" Ty shouted. "No, Seto, you're going to make it."

"You've always survived before, man," Jason added. "You're going to make it!"

"Seto, you'll see. We'll find a way to get you out."

"No!" Seto looked alarmed. "No, no, no, no! Don't do that. Whatever you do, don't try to help me. Whatever you do, don't come to the End. That's what I needed to tell you."

"Seto," Sky said. "You honestly believe that we'd leave you there?"

"We can get Team Crafted and go kick some Ender ass! We'll get you out of there."

"Ember, would you want to help?" Sky asked. She was staring at the hologram, eyes wide.

Seto gulped. "E-ember? S-she's th-there?"

"Seto? Are you alright?" Sky asked.

A voice sounded on Seto's end. "So, my little friend, what are you up to?"

Seto turned pure white. "Don't trust her, Sky! Don't trust her! Don't listen to Em-

The spell ended then, the hologram fading away to nothing. But they could still catch Seto's scream as it carried across on the last tail end of the magic, leaving them with more questions than answers.

* * *

**So, I hope you are enjoying this story! Thanks for reading, and leave a comment or review if you can find the time (it means a lot to me to see that people have taken the time to write something). Thanks again, and may the Force be with you!**


	17. Wing It

With Seto's screams still ringing in his ears, Sky glanced at Ember. "Have you met him before?"

She closed her eyes, thinking. "I don't think so… Oh!"

"What?"

Ember blushed, the redness of her cheeks and ears standing in sharp contrast to her otherwise pale skin. "I trolled him once, and he got really mad."

Sky laughed, Jason and Ty joining him. "Seto does tend to get mad. He's a bit of a drama queen."

"How'd you prank him?" Jason asked.

She shrugged, warming to her audience. "I dug a cave under his house and filled it with chickens. I didn't know that Seto was allergic to feathers!"

"I will remember that for when we get him back," Ty said, in between volcanic eruptions of laughter. He and Sky couldn't look at each other without bursting into fits of giggles. "What happened?"

"We-e-ll, after the rash went away, he kind of turned some creepers invisible. Then of course, I needed revenge, and it just kept escalating. Until I… well, I shouldn't say."

"Say!" Jason pleaded.

"Let's leave it at it involved poison ivy, potato chips, ocelots, and a catapult. And no, I will not be giving _any_ more details."

Sky grinned. Wow. Leave it to Seto to freak out about ancient history. Ember's story made sense. She did seem to be a prankster. "Nice. So there is no need to panic about you being some evil crazy person who wants to kill us all?"

She smirked. "I don't know about the _crazy_ part, but I'm not evil."

"So reassuring…" He pulled her into a hug. She leaned into his shoulder, then caught his head in her hands and kissed him. She was crazy. Crazy awesome, that is. Sky could hardly believe that he was lucky enough to have met her, let alone have become so close to her.

"Guys, hello?" Ty snapped his fingers in Sky's face. "No time for face-sucking, Sky, because we have to go get Seto."

Sky tried to maintain a dignified expression. "That is _not_ face-sucking, Ty. But would you know?"

Ty pouted while Jason grinned, rubbing his hands together evilly. "It's not my fault that girls have no taste," he muttered. "I am _highly_ kissable."

"It might be better for you if they couldn't taste," Jason said, shrugging. Ty didn't bother to turn around before slugging him in the arm. "Ow!"

"You asked for it, Jason," Sky said. "But you're right, Ty. We need to get to Seto. Ember, do you want to come with us?" He didn't know what he'd do if she wasn't coming with them. Sky couldn't leave her, but he couldn't abandon his friends, either.

Luckily, she grinned. "I wouldn't stay behind for the world. Okay, maybe for the world, but nothing less. Where are we going?"

Ah. That little kink. "Umm, usually we don't actually plan. We more in-

"We wing it!" Jason said helpfully.

"I was going to say innovate as we go."

"So, basically, wing it," Ty clarified.

"That doesn't sound as good. I think he's trying to be impressive."

"Ah, yes. He's got to look good for the lady."

"Will you two _shut up_ for more than two seconds!?" Sky shouted. He could feel a blush spreading from his ears to his cheeks.

"Nah."

"Shut up isn't very democratic, you know." That was Ty.

"Ember, he's a communist, you don't want him."

"Lalalalala, I'm not listening!" Sky was an intense shade of fuchsia. He hated how brightly he blushed, but what could he do?

"Oh no! I'm being ignored! Help me, someone, I need attention." It was so like them to show off if a girl was in the room. Notch forbid that they actually listen for once.

"He's treating us like children. Jason, am I a child?"

"We're _all _children, Ty. Don't be stupid."

Ember, to her credit, had resisted laughing throughout the entire spectacle, and for that, Sky was grateful. She was turning an interesting shade of violet, however, from the effort involved in restraining her laughter.

"May I have your attention?" Sky said, silently seething. _Why, why do I have friends?_

"Yeah, I guess." Ty and Jason turned to him, leaning in almost identical poses against the wall.

"If you mention pizza, in the same sentence as 'Ty and Jason can have,' then we'll listen for twice as long."

"Ty and Jason can have pizza slapped across their faces," Ember supplied. The look of dismay that filled their faces was very satisfying.

"Fine. You win. We're listening."

"He's using the royal 'we.'"

"Guys…" Sky groaned. "Seto is in trouble, we need to help him." Their smiles dropped, and Ty grimaced slightly.

Jason sighed, his expression serious. "We know. It's just, it's easier to joke around then be scared. It's just freaky that something could capture Seto. I mean, he's more powerful than any of us, except maybe you, 'cause of the amulet thingy. I don't mean to be an idiot, and I know that's how I'm acting, I'm just trying to deal with it."

Sky understood what Jason was saying. Being distracted was so much less painful than facing reality, sometimes. "Sorry. I totally get that. But the only way to help him is to focus. You guys understand, right?"

"Yeah."

"Unfortunately, yes. So, are we going to wing it, as usual, or make a plan?" Jason asked.

"We should probably get to base and see if we've got any info, and if anybody else wants to help us. Then we can see what to do."

"I'm game," Ty said.

"Same."

"I'm in, if you guys want me to be," Ember said.

"Totally!" Sky said.

"Alright. How are we getting back to base?"

Sky had to think about this. "Anyone got obsidian? We could fast walk."

"Go through the Nether?" Ember asked.

"Yeah." Was she scared? He hoped not. Actually, a tiny portion of him hoped she was, so he'd get to comfort her.

Ember raised an eyebrow, as though reading his thoughts. "I've got better. There's a portal downstairs."

That was convenient. "Let's do this!"

* * *

**Hey guys, it's been so long since I did a cliffhanger. You do know I just needed to write that? K. Good. I think I'm going to do a one-shot from Seto's perspective, just to give you guys a little more info on what's going on. It won't be crucial to the story, but I think you'll enjoy it. Thanks for reading!**


	18. Lost

**Just so you don't get the wrong impression about author evilness, I have to say I was actually crying while I wrote this.**

* * *

Sky stared at the portal, trying to gather his courage. Everyone else had already stepped through, laughing, as though it were no big deal to take a short walk through the Nether. He hated himself for even suggesting it. _Bad. Very bad. Bad Sky._

Taking a deep breath, he walked forward, into the portal. There was a sudden, disorienting sensation as the world whirled around him, the purple spirals of the portal curling across Sky's vision. He felt his stomach twist in sync with the swirls.

And then, as soon as they had started, the nauseating feelings stopped. Looking up, Sky could see that he was no longer in Ember's cellar. Huge columns of netherrack supported the reddish, rust colored ceiling.

A lava waterfall cascaded down beside him, plunging into the lake of red 'water' below. Somewhere in the distance, a lone ghast screamed.

It wasn't the only one. Ty. Ty was howling. "Help!"

Sky took off sprinting in the direction of the sound. "Help! Ember is attacking me! Sky, if you are here, come and save me!"

"Come, Sky, help us!"

"Hel- ow, Jason, don't laugh! I think we might have him fooled." What?

"Hey! Ember, we were going to –ow, no shoving, Ty- trick Sky! St-mmph!"

Sky rounded the corner to see Ember clamping a hand over Jason's mouth. "Seriously, guys?"

"Having fun?" he asked, glancing at Ember's face.

"They were. Permission to throttle Jason? It was his idea."

"Granted."

"Hey, Sky, man, don't be mad," Jason said, scuttling backwards. "It was a joke. And you were moving pretty slow."

"Yeah," Ty agreed, raising his hands above his head and backing away slowly as Sky approached, eyes blazing. Ember reclined against a rock, watching with a smile on her face. "Hey! Uh, Sky, you do know that it was Jason's idea? Right?"

"You. Are. An. Idiot. Every mob in the Nether is going to be after us."

"It'll make you move faster?" Jason suggested.

"Don't be a wuss, Sky!" Ty taunted.

"We're going to have an adventure!"

"And, I do admit to being an idiot. Let's run."

So they did, sprinting along the strip of land that served as a bridge between two islands of netherrack.

Halfway across the bridge, Sky turned around, looking over his shoulder. "Holy shit!"

There was an enormous horde of pigmen stampeding after them. "Look, boys!" the leader called. "There they are! Catch the fools who disturbed us with their incessant screaming! We'll rip them apart!"

The pigmen began to chant, their disturbing words set to the tune of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.'

_"Rip them, tear them zombie pigs,_

_Let's destroy the intruders,_

_Just slice 'em open and dump their guts out,_

_Behead them with a shining sword,_

_Rip them, tear them zombie pigs,_

_Go destroy the intruders."_

"They woke us up from our nap!" one shouted.

"Kill them!"

Sky groaned and raced to catch up with the rest of his group. "Why do I have friends? Why? Why? Why?"

"Because you know we're awesome, and you hope it'll rub off," Ty replied. The zombie pigmen were gaining swiftly. Ember turned to Sky, an alarmed look on her face.

"We aren't going to make it. There are more on the other side. I can see them."

"Follow me." Sky jumped off the bridge, down to the lava below. This was the only chance.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ty yelled.

"Parkour! I thought that was your thing, Ty!" Sky hollered back, rather pleased with himself. It had worked. At least, he was still alive, and that counted for something. He'd jumped perfectly, landing on a narrow, tiny piece of land in the lava.

"Aha! They are escaping! After them, my pretties!" The pigs were getting closer.

"C'mon! Hurry!" Sky ordered.

Ember jumped, hitting the ground lightly. Ty came next. "Jason!" he called. "Get down here!"

There was silence, except for the yelling of the nearby monsters. Then Jason leaned out over the bridge, looking down at them. His eyes were shining slightly, wet with tears, but hardened with determination.

"I'm not coming."

"Jason! We don't have time for this! You're coming, whether you like it or not! It's suicide to stay there!"

"I'm not coming, Sky. There's no way we'd escape. But I can buy you guys time."

Ty stared at him. "Jason! You- no!"

"Ty, you're my best friend. You're like my brother. I won't let you die. It's my fault that they're after us. I should pay the price." With that, Jason pulled back, onto the bridge. "Come and get me, bacon!" he shouted at the oncoming mass of zombies.

"No! No, Jason!" Ty screeched. He jumped for the shore, but Sky caught his arm, pulling him back. "Sky, Sky, let me go! Just let me go!"

Sky could barely speak. "Ty, no. You can't go back. I won't- I can't lose you both. Jason! Get down here, this isn't funny!" He felt something wet running down his face. "Jason, please!"

Ember was grappling with Ty as he tried to escape to shore. "Ty! Ty! He's gone. We have to go. We have to make it worth- worth what he did for us."

Ty was crying silently as he ceased struggling and went limp. "Sky- he knew what he was doing. We have to make it worth his while. Please. We need to go," Ember urged.

No. It wasn't over. It couldn't be over. He could still hear the sounds of battle, the clang of Jason's sword, the dull thud it made as it bit into undead flesh. "I can't believe it. I- I…"

Ember stroked his arm gently. He could see that her eyelashes were clumped together with unshed tears. "We aren't in a place to stop. Sky. Ty needs you." She indicated the motionless lump that was their friend. "_I_ need you."

Sky nodded. "Ty. Ty, we need to go." A scream sounded from above as one of the zombies scored the inevitable first wound. "Ty."

"Go!" Jason shouted. "Run, blast it, run! Ty, get moving!" A pigman squealed its last.

Jason's voice acted like a catalyst, forcing Ty to his feet. "Jason," he whispered. "I'll miss you, man."


	19. Deadlox

He'd scraped his knee stumbling, just now, over that little dip in the floor. He didn't feel it. He'd singed his foot in a small puddle of lava. Nothing. Sky was completely numb, since nothing could possibly hurt more than losing one of his oldest, closest friends.

He could barely see straight ahead, and so it was only thanks to Ember that he stopped walking before stumbling off the cliff. Honestly, Sky would have hardly minded. A quick death by lava might be preferable to this slow, aching, hollowness that consumed him.

"Sky," she said gently. "Get into the present. You need to stay here. You need to stay in now."

He didn't want to listen, although he knew that she was right. "I can't. He's gone, Ember. And it's my fault." Sky felt the hot, dry air of the Nether scorching his throat.

"Sky. It isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself." She touched his neck, her cold fingers soothing him slightly.

"It is. I suggested the Nether. I did this."

"It was his choice, Sky. If you blame yourself, it only makes things worse."

"I just can't! If I move on, it'll be like Jason was never here."

"I'm not saying to move on. I'm telling you that you need to not forget why he did what he did. Sky, Jason chose to save us. And we can do what we can to honor that by using his gift. We need to get out of the Nether. We need to save Seto. And then we will search every inch of this hellhole for any hint that he might be alive, and we will find Jason."

Sky took a deep breath. It made sense, although he knew that she was just saying the last part to make him feel better. He knew, in his heart, that Jason was no longer among them. He was somewhere far, far away by now.

"Okay," he said, feeling very small.

"It'll be alright," Ember said quietly. "Ty, we need to keep moving."

Ty was sitting on a small boulder, head in his hands. "Why?"

Sky knew that he wasn't asking Ember why they had to keep going. He was asking what Sky wanted to ask, asking the universe _why_ their best friend had to die, _why_ they had had to leave without killing the beasts that had murdered Jason, _why_, _why_, _why_.

"I don't know why," Sky said. "I wish I did."

"It isn't fair!" Ty shouted suddenly. He was crying again, eyes red and face swollen. "It just isn't," he said, more subdued, his lower lip starting to tremble.

"It isn't," Sky agreed. He could feel his throat starting to close up again, and his eyes were starting to sting. Ember had closed her eyes, each breath she took slow and shaking. "We'll find a way to avenge him, Ty. I swear."

Ty slowly got to his feet. "Call me Deadlox for now." Sky stared at him. Of course he'd want to use his alias now. It had always been Jason and Ty, Ty and Jason. They were inseparable. _Had been_ inseparable. Ty- Deadlox- didn't want to be reminded that his other half was gone. Gone forever.

The thought made Sky want to cry. He didn't even want to imagine what Ty- Deadlox- was experiencing. "Of course."

Deadlox nodded, his eyes dark. "Let's go. I need to get out of this place. How far are we from the portal site?"

While they were at Ember's house, Jason had convinced them to plan the coordinates of where they'd need to build the new portal. Jason. Everything he'd ever done seemed to have more weight now. Every word, every action, every hare-brained prank.

"About a quarter of a mile, Deadlox," Ember said, checking her compass. He nodded acknowledgement of her use of his other name.

"I'll lead the way," Deadlox declared, striding past them, his face set stiffly.

* * *

**For those of you interested in what's going on with Seto, I wrote the one shot yesterday. It is the one called "Wolf." I hope you are enjoying, and it does get less sad. That's all I can say.**


	20. Over

**Yes. This is a short chapter. I'm sorry. I have to make bean dip now. That is the best excuse in the world. I insist! I will probably post again later. Next chapter will probably be very short also, but the one afterwards is going to be lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ong. If you haven't read it already, and want to know what's happening with Seto, then you can read my little oneshot called Wolf. Also, I just remembered, for those of you curious about Ember's chicken prank, I have the instructions in a little guide to trolling I'm putting together**

**Read on!**

* * *

"Nearly there," Deadlox said emotionlessly, about twenty minutes later. "I can see the portal."

Sky nodded. He was too tired to say anything, really. Too drained.

"How far?" Ember asked.

"Not," Deadlox replied dryly. He slowed down, allowing Sky to catch up with him. Ember seemed to sense that he wanted a chance to talk to Sky alone, and accelerated to take the lead.

"Do you think that there's a chance that he's alive, Sky? And don't bullshit me. I want a real answer, no matter what it is." Deadlox's entire demeanor was hungry, like a starved wolf begging for a scrap.

It made Sky feel terrible for what his answer had to be. Jason—there was no way he could have survived. There simply wasn't, but he knew what that answer would do to Deadlox. It would crush any lingering hope that kept him going.

"Tell me now, Sky." His hands curled into fists, and his eyes were wild.

"Ty, I—

"Don't. Call. Me. Ty."

"Deadlox, then," Sky said, watching his friend's reaction nervously. Luckily, the anger seemed to have faded somewhat. Now, he just looked broken.

"Sky- I- I…"

"I know," Sky said, cutting him off. Ty- Deadlox- looked up at him, his eyes swollen and puffy.

"Could he be…?"

Sky hesitated. "No," he whispered. "He's dead. He's dead, and he won't come back. He's gone, Deadlox. He's just- gone, like he was never here." And then Sky was crying again, face stinging and raw from the salt.

Deadlox closed his eyes, lips moving silently. A single tear slid down his face. "Just like that. Just like that, I lose my best friend."

"Deadlox…"

He opened his eyes. "Let's keep moving."

They were silent all the way to the portal. Ember was there already, waiting for them. From the nearby ghast corpse and the already melting magma cube, Sky could deduce that she'd had to clear the room of monsters. "Ready?" she asked, voice quiet, but seemingly loud in the eerie calm of the Nether.

Sky took a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Yeah."

_Goodbye, Jason_.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, as always! You guys are awesome, and it really makes me feel great whenever I get a new review 8D. I really appreciate any and all feedback. Follow if you are enjoying this story (it really helps me figure out how many people actually come back to read when I post new chapters). Thanks again, and... AAAHHH! THE HOT PINK BUNNIES! THEY'VE FOUND ME!**


	21. Pranked? (and ransom)

As Sky stepped through the portal and out of the Nether, he could hear a door fly open, and the sound of footsteps thundering down a staircase. On the other side, he blinked. "Hi guy—

"What the hell?" Mitch yelled. "Sky's back! And he has a girl!" Of course that was the first thing Mitch would notice.

"Sky got a girl to come with _him_? No way! No way in hell!" Jerome shouted, running downstairs and almost trampling Mitch. He pulled Sky into an enormous, furry hug.

"Mmph," Sky groaned, face buried in Jerome's thick fur.

"She's hot!" Husky announced. "Way hot! TDB hot!"

"Third degree burns hot? This I gotta see!" Ian said, running down the stairs and colliding into Jerome's fluffy back.

Ember was staring at the chaos, looking slightly alarmed. "Fluffy, a little air?" Sky choked out.

"Oh! Yeah, sure," Jerome said, releasing Sky from the stranglehold. "Dude, that chick is cute."

"I'd noticed." Making his way over to Ember, he tapped, her shoulder, causing her to jump. "Em, are you okay?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm not used to so many people. And I just keep thinking about Jason. How are we going to tell them?"

How would Sky tell the team that one of their oldest friends was dead? He looked around for Ty-Deadlox- and saw him standing in the corner, alone. Poor Deadlox. It was times like this that he and Jason would be in their element, goofing off, teasing, fighting with the rest of the guys. But now that would never happen. Ever.

"I don't know. And in case you didn't hear, the entire Team thinks that you're hot. Be prepared to be flirted shamelessly with."

"Do _you_ think I'm hot?" Ember asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No. I think you're beautiful," Sky said, catching her hands. She met his eyes for a moment, and then they were kissing.

After all that had happened, it felt so good to be able to still be alive, to still be together. Ember wrapped her hands around his waist, pulling him in closer. Her mouth was cold, her lips soft. She smelled great, like the blossoms of the cherry tree in the back yard that bloomed every summer. I_t was probably about time for that tree to flower now_, Sky thought as they kissed.

When he pulled away for air, he realized that the room was silent. Sky thought he could hear a _thud_ as Mitch's jaw dropped.

"You all didn't know? Sky didn't bring a girl; he brought his girl_friend_," Deadlox said into the quiet, awe-struck room. Jason would have added on, saying something like, _"Yeah, noobs!"_

Forget it. Jason wouldn't say that, he'd say something cleverer. Something that Sky would never think of. There was no replacement for Jason.

However, the fact that Jason would have said something did not go unnoticed by the team. It was Jerome who broke the uncomfortable quiet as they waited for Jason to shout something.

"Where's Jason?"

"Did he get lost?" added Ian.

"He still owes me a game of checkers!"

"Well, Sky?"

This was the moment he'd been dreading. "Guys, Jason—

"He got lost! I knew it!"

"Th-that's not what I was going to say," Sky stammered.

"Well, do tell, then. Did he find a girlfriend?"

"No…"

"I know! Umm… I get three guesses, okay? One is…"

"No! Guys, he's dead! Jason! Jason is… he's dead." Sky felt tears rise up to his eyes again. "He's freaking dead!"

Mitch stared at Sky, then burst out laughing. Sticking his head through the portal, he shouted, "Jason! Nice prank! Now get out here!" Smirking, he turned to Sky. "How'd he get you to go along with it? You look kind of like you're crying. How are you doing that?"

"He might have onions in his pockets," Husky suggested.

"Guys, this isn't a joke. I wish it was. I really, really wish it was. But it isn't."

"Sky, seriously? You don't need to drag this out. We called the trick, now tell Jason to come back."

Sky could feel the dam that his tears had been gathering behind burst, and he was sobbing. He'd never felt so much like punching Mitch ever before.

Ian was the first to realize that something was really wrong. "Sky, hey, Sky, it's alright. What all happened?" He turned to the others. "Let's get upstairs." He steered Sky up the steps, Ember and Ty following in his wake.

"Ian, don't fall for the trick!" Mitch moaned as he and the rest of Team Crafted trailed upstairs behind them. Ian shut him up with a glare.

Sky, Ember and Ty sat down on a couch. Mitch and Jerome were sitting practically on top of each other in a chair, arguing about who had sat there first. Ian and Husky flopped on the other couch. There were three spaces left. "Seto's missing, Jason's, well, wherever he is, and Bonks is out sketching," Husky said in response to Ember's questioning look. "And Mitch is always fighting with Jerome over the chair, so we've never needed to get more seating."

"It's my chair, I tell you! Mine! Get off, Fluffy!"

"You don't want it. I've gotten fur all over it now," Jerome retorted.

"Oh, so that's _my_ fault?" Mitch growled.

"Just a little caveat," Jerome rumbled.

"Oi! Shut up, you two!" Ian shouted. "Or you will leave me no choice!" He fingered the edge of the glasses that barely contained his Derp Side.

Mitch and Jerome instantly shut up. "Fine."

"Much better. So, what happened?"

Sky took a deep breath, but before he could speak, Deadlox cut him off. "Let me put it in English. Jason. Is. Dead. My best friend is _gone_. And I'm out of here," he snarled, sliding off the couch and running up the stairs to the second floor. Up to his room. The one that he had formerly shared with his roommate. Jason.

* * *

**Hey. So, no bean dip. I am currently being held hostage by the hot pink bunnies. They are ordering me to obtain a ransom of ten followers for this story. I said, "Impossible!" but ****_nooooo_****, I must have ten followers. Yeah... Can you guys help me out? I would really appreciate it! More chapters as soon as I'm able... I don't know when that will be. I must go. The guards are getting suspicious. Thanks!**


	22. Let Go (A DARK Chapter)

**Alright. I probably should warn you. In this chapter, one of the characters intentionally hurts himself. If you are my brother, skip this chapter. If you feel uncomfortable with that type of thing, don't read. I put a warning before that section just to be safe.**

* * *

"What is Ty saying?" Mitch asked, eyebrows knitting together uncertainly.

"What I've been trying to tell you. Jason- he died in the Nether," Sky said, trying to stay calm.

Mitch blinked rapidly. "Sky, th-this isn't funny anymore."

Sky took a deep breath, counted to ten, and… exploded. "IT BETTER BLOODY WELL NOT BE FUNNY, YOU FREAKING IDIOT! OUR FRIEND IS _DEAD_, OKAY? THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT!" He paused, breathing hard. "HOW CAN YOU JUST SIT THERE, AND ACT LIKE THIS IS SOME SORT OF SICK JOKE? HE'S GONE! JASON IS FREAKING DEAD!"

"Sky," Ember murmured, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Calm down." He closed his eyes, relaxing into her touch. However, he could still feel the tension in every inch of his body, the furious pounding of his heart as blood roared through his ears.

The whole of Team Crafted was staring at him silently, looking askance at Sky. Ian was the first to speak, his voice weak. "How? How did that happen?" he croaked.

He made himself breathe. "I don't- I can't talk about it right now," Sky said, though it came out more like a plea. "I'm sorry." Those two words covered everything- he was sorry that he couldn't tell them, he was sorry that he'd yelled at Mitch, he was sorry that Jason had died.

Ian nodded, sending the rest of the team a look that clearly said, _Give him some space_. "I understand. We- we'll need some time to think." He looked to be in shock, his face bleached of color.

Jerome, Husky, and Mitch all made soft sounds of assent, their faces the all exact same shade of ashen gray.

"Sky, I think you should probably get some rest," Ember suggested quietly. "You're exhausted."

"So are you." It was his fault. All of this was his fault. He'd dragged her into this. He'd suggested the Nether. He hadn't found a way to save Jason. He was worthless.

"I don't sleep. Go upstairs, Sky. Get some rest."

"What are you going to do?"

"Take a walk. I need some time. It's been a hell of a day." Ember smiled wanly. Sky hesitated. "Go, Sky. You need some rest."

That was an understatement. He felt as though he could sleep for a year. "Alright. See you in the morning." He kissed her lightly on the forehead, then made himself stand up and walk to the stairs.

At the second floor landing, he made the turn to his room, stepping down the hall. The rest of the night would have continued uneventfully if, while he passed the boys's bathroom, he hadn't hurt a small, muffled sob. Sky paused, curious. The noise came again, clearly coming from the bathroom. Turning the knob slowly, he let himself in through the unlocked door.

* * *

**Alright. The scene starts now.**

* * *

Someone was sitting on the sink counter, crying softly. "Ty?" Sky asked. What was going on?

Ty- Deadlox- jerked his head up, eyes widening. He jumped off the sink and tried to reach the exit, brushing past Sky. Sensing that something was horribly wrong, Sky intercepted him, closing the door firmly behind him. "Ty?" he asked again.

"Deadlox," came the sullen reply.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Sky asked. Deadlox's eyes flicked from Sky to the door, back and forth, back and forth.

"Let me out."

"No," he decided. Deadlox never acted like this. He had to know what was happening.

"Sky, _let me out_ of this room." Deadlox looked desperate. He was cornered, and knew it.

"No. Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." Sky stepped closer, and Deadlox backed away, bumping into the wall.

"Sky…"

"What?"

"It's kind of personal…"

"What, Ty?"

"Deadlox!" he growled. "And just… no. I can't."

A suspicion was beginning to worm into Sky's mind. He caught a firm grip on Deadlox's shoulder, keeping him from bolting. As soon as he made contact, Deadlox froze like a scared rabbit in the headlights of an oncoming car, seconds away from its death.

"Sky, please."

"Please _what_, Deadlox?"

"Leave me alone. Forget about this."

"I can't do that. You're my friend." _And friends do whatever they can for each other_.

"Sky, you won't understand!"

Ignoring Deadlox, Sky stepped around to look at the basin of the sink. Red. So much red. Red swirled through the sink in spirals, crimson life inscribed into the sink's white marble. It was just what he'd been afraid of. Blood, Deadlox's blood, had been spilled into the sink.

"Did you do this? Did you cut yourself?" he asked his friend, despite already knowing the answer. Deadlox shrunk back, as though expecting to be hit. Okay, maybe that had come out a little harsh.

"Y-yes," he admitted weakly, eyes twin harvest moons in his pale face.

"Pull up your sleeves," Sky ordered flatly. _Oh shit oh shit oh holy freaking shit._

"S-sky…"

"Do it." _How am I supposed to react? What the hell was he thinking?_

Deadlox appeared to be moving in a zombielike trance as he slid both of his sleeves back to just behind his elbows. "Now do you see?" he asked miserably.

Sky saw. The dozens of lines, all perfectly level, cut into the flesh of Deadlox's arms. The scars, new and old. And the cuts from tonight, even, shallow, the bright red lines standing out sharply against his deathly pale skin.

What was he going to do? His first instinct was that he needed to get someone to help. A psychologist or some other doctor. Someone who would know what to do for Deadlox.

Yet, he was fairly certain that all solutions would involve being taken away. Deadlox would be taken away as dangerously insane, and lose all of his own will as a human being. He'd become just another pincushion for the doctors at the asylum.

What else was there to do, though? The asylum might keep Deadlox alive. As if reading Sky's train of thought, Deadlox slowly began to shake his head. "No, Sky. This doesn't come out of this room. No one can know. Okay?"

"There are people who can help…"

"Sky, I'm _not_ crazy. I don't want people to tell me I am."

"Ty…" He'd never felt so much pity for someone in his life.

Ty slid to the floor, burying his head in his hands. "D-don't. I c-can't s-stand if you start t-to treat me different. I'm still me." He looked up, tears running down his face.

Sky crouched down beside his friend. He didn't know what to say. This was like something out of a movie. This wasn't like his life. But it was. "It's alright, Ty."

Ty didn't bother to correct Sky. He hiccupped, then slowly leaned back against the wall, unfolding himself from his compacted position. "It started almost three years ago. Mitch and Seto were in one of their, you know, blowout fights, and it was just too much to handle."

Sky remembered that. Seto had just figured out a new spell, and had been excited, when Mitch simply had to come up and say something really stupid. _"Aww, look. The dog learned a new trick!"_ Seto had flown into a rage, with the sounds of the yelling able be heard from outside. And now that Ty mentioned it, Sky remembered seeing the wild look in his friend's eyes as he slunk away up the stairs.

However, he stayed silent, knowing that Ty needed to talk. If he gave him a chance to explain, maybe this would make sense. And maybe squids would stop being derpy. It was about as likely.

"I had to get away from that, so I came up here." He moved his arm out in front of his face, examining the scars. "And this happened." Sky reached out and touched the scar farthest from Ty's wrist, the thinnest and palest of all the cuts. Ty flinched.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yeah," Ty said, voice hoarse. "A little."

Sky stayed quiet, trying to keep from saying anything that might make Ty feel even worse. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"What are these others from? Ty, just… why? Why do this?"

"I don't know why I do this. I've just never had a real way of…coping." He met Sky's stare pleadingly. "Please, Sky, don't hate me."

That was possibly the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "_Hate_ you? Why would I hate you?"

"Seriously?" he asked, expression hopeful.

"Ty, there is utterly no reason for me to hate you. I just want to help you."

"You aren't mad at me?"

"I'm slightly mad at myself that you didn't think you could trust me enough to talk your problems out." _Instead of trying to cut them out_. "That's it, though."

Ty's face looked so grateful that it mad Sky want to cry. He wished that his friend had been willing to talk instead of hurt himself. "What was _this_ about?" Sky asked, gesturing at the room around him, the bloodstains on the sink, the razor in Ty's hand. He already had guessed, but wanted Ty to say it.

"Jason," he said softly. "He knew."

"He what?"

"Jason knew about _this_. He'd try to get me to stop, but I couldn't. This was a little before Seto left. You know how much he and Mitch were fighting. I just can't stand it when my friends are acting that way. Jason wanted to tell you about my- my cutting, but I said no and made him promise to never say anything about it to any of you guys."

He took a deep breath and continued. "I can't believe he's dead. He was my best friend." Ty looked at the razor that he'd been squeezing in his hand.

Sky realized what was going to happen too late to stop it. Ty placed the blade on his arm and slitted the skin on his wrist, just shallow enough to keep from severing the artery. He gave a faint sort of whimper as blood gushed out onto the tiles of the bathroom floor.

"No! Ty, you can't hurt yourself like this," Sky ordered, catching his arm before he could repeat the action. "Give me the razor."

Ty didn't respond, only stared down at the floor, watching numbly as his blood puddle on the floor. Sky caught his wrist and squeezed until Ty was forced to let go of the blade. He glanced up as Sky stood. "Where are you going?"

"To get something."

"You're going to tell the others!" Ty said, the panic on his face belaying the accusation in his tone.

"Stay right here," Sky ordered. He felt horrible for his friend. Jason's death had hit Sky hard, but that bruise would heal. However, it had destroyed Ty, possibly beyond the point of no return. "I'm not going to tell the team, but you need to wait for me to come back. You're in no condition to take care of yourself."

"Sky, if you tell them, I'll die, I swear!"

"I told you, Ty, I'm not going to say anything to them."

Ty slumped down again, broken. He clearly didn't believe a word. Sky slipped out the door, closing it quietly behind him. Oh well. Sky had no intentions of telling the rest of the Team about his new, disturbing discovery.

Instead, he needed to find the first aid supplies. He had to get Ty cleaned up a bit and make sure he was safe, from himself and from discovery. Damn it. Why couldn't anyone be bothered to tidy the house at all, to keep things organized for when they needed found?

* * *

**Okay. Scene is pretty much over. Basically, what happened was Sky found Ty sitting in the bathroom, hurting himself. Ty is sort of flipping out because Jason's dead, and he's really worried that Sky is going to tell the rest of the Team.**

* * *

Sky searched a closet, pawing through various bins. Nothing. But now he remembered. He always kept a small kit in one of the drawers in his room. He ran down the hallway, grabbed it, and came running back to the bathroom.

Ty was still sitting in the exact same position. "How much do they hate me now?"

"I didn't tell them, you paranoid fool. Settle down." Sky's stress was beginning to make him lose his cool.

To his surprise, Ty offered up a strained half-smile. At least, it might have been a smile; it was hard to tell in the dark little room. "That's the Sky I'm used to."

"I've got some bandages, Ty. We need to get those—cuts—cleaned up a bit."

"I can do it," he said, reaching for the kit. "I don't want to drag you into this."

"I'm already in this, like it or not. And you're my friend. I'll take care of you."

"Sky…"

"Re-freaking-lax, already!" So what if Sky was getting a little bit short tempered? He'd earned it.

Ty nodded after a brief moment of hesitation, holding out his hands like a prisoner about to be handcuffed. "Whatever you say, Doc Sky."

* * *

**That was kind of dark, I guess. I'm trying to get people to understand, though, what Ty is going through.**


	23. Decisions, Decisions

Sky stared down at his hands. By now, they were covered with blood, Ty's blood, from cleaning the shallow cuts on his friend's arm.

"Almost done," he said, pouring the last of the peroxide onto the wound. It fizzed and popped weakly, signaling that it was clean.

"Thanks, Sky," Ty said sheepishly. "I know I don't deserve this."

"Ty, quit being an idiot. I'm your friend. I help you." Sky wrapped a thin layer of gauzy bandage around both of Ty's forearms, covering up the cuts. "There. Finished."

"Thanks," Ty said again, standing up to give Sky an awkward hug as he tried to not bump his injuries.

"Ty, one thing, though," Sky said, thinking of something.

He looked up, expression wary. "Yes?"

"If you do hurt yourself again, I'll have to tell the others, and get help from someone more trained than I in dealing with something like this." Sky hated threatening Ty, but there wasn't really a choice. He needed to stop the cutting.

Ty went rigid, fear flashing in his eyes. "I- I- I'll try," he whispered.

"Do, or do not. There is no try," Sky quipped, smiling tiredly at his friend. "It's past midnight. You should go get some sleep."

"Sleep sounds good."

"Goodnight, Ty. See you in the morning."

"'Night, Sky. And… and thank you. For helping me." Sky nodded, and they parted ways, each moving to their respective rooms.

_Oh, bed bed bed. How I've missed you so,_ thought Sky as he collapsed onto his mattress, the world fading out as he closed his eyes and succumbed to the bliss of sleep.

* * *

**Several Hours Later...**

* * *

He awoke to the sound of a bird chirping merrily in a tree. _I hate you, bird. Let me sleep_. Groaning, Sky rolled over and pulled his pillow over his head. It was an unsuccessful attempt to muffle the noise. "Will you _shut up_?"

The bird burst into another song. "Gah! I am coming to strangle you, you stupid bundle of feathers!"

Clearly, the bird had called his bluff, as it sang out another high-pitched aria. "Shaddup!"

"I don't think that's going to work," a voice said. Sky blinked and opened his eyes to see Ty leaning against the door frame, hands in the pockets of his dark jeans.

"Kill the damn bird and let me sleep," he growled.

"Eh. The others said to get you downstairs," Ty shrugged. He looked a lot better than he had last night. Some of the color had returned to his face, and his eyes were less red.

"Ten more minutes."

"In Sky Time, that's an hour, right?"

"Five minutes?" Sky pleaded.

"No. Now get up."

"I can't."

"Ember made coffee. She figured it might wake you up."

In less than a second Sky had rolled out of bed and jumped to attention. "Give me the coffee."

"Follow me," Ty said, rolling his eyes. He led the way down the stairs and to the living room, where the Team and Ember sat, waiting for the remaining members of their household.

Sky immediately reached for the coffee pot, pouring himself a steaming mug of caffeine. He and Ty sat down next to Ember, and waited for someone to say something.

"So," Jerome said, breaching the silence.

"So," Husky agreed.

"We need to talk," Ian declared. "There are a lot of problems facing us right now, and we need to come up with a plan."

"What? We never use plans!" Mitch yelled.

"I like plans," said Bonks.

"I disapprove wholeheartedly of plans!"

"Guys, let Ian talk!" Sky shouted. If they'd've known what was good for them, they wouldn't have woken Sky before noon. At least. He was in a horrible mood.

"Thanks, Sky. As I was saying, we have some problems that need resolved. First of all, we're all dealing with the loss of our friend and teammate, Jason. And second, we need to account for the very real possibility that Seto is dea—

"He isn't. At least, he wasn't two days ago," Ty said. Everyone turned to look at him. "Sky, Ember, J-J-Jason and I got a message from him. He's been captured, and he's in the End."

"Then we've got to rescue him!" Husky said, standing up.

"Second that!" Bonks called. "We can't lose two teammates."

"I agree," Ian said.

"Same," Ty said quietly.

"Definitely. I mean, what else would we do?" Sky asked.

Mitch took a deep breath, and everyone stared at him. "We could just leave him."

"What?!"

"Let's face it. None of us really knew Seto all that well. He never was open with the Team, and he usually wanted to be on his own, doing his own thing. His magic was too powerful. Seto was a threat and a danger to Team Crafted. I think that we should at least consider that before we go on some wild goose chase to bring back someone who might be a problem in the future."

The room was so deathly quiet that it would be possible to hear a creeper hiss. "Th-that's a very, erm, extreme idea, Mitch. Does anyone have anything to say?"

"I second Mitch," Jerome said somberly. "Seto's magical ability was a huge disadvantage in all peaceful negotiations. No one trusts a sorcerer. Or his associates. It cast doubt on the validity of our group to have him as a member."

Jerome's support suddenly took Mitch's position from an insane idea born from a grudge to a legitimate concern. Everyone knew how often he and Jerome were arguing. If the previous rivals had a shared cause to rally behind, then it would seem that there must be something to that cause.

Still, Sky knew which side he was on. "Seto has been our friend and ally for three years. Do we just abandon that? Do we really need to ask whether or not we save our comrade from whatever's captured him? "

Ian sighed. "Technically, since Jerome has seconded Mitch's proposal, we need to debate the issue."

"You have got to be kidding," Ty said, throwing his hands into the air.

"I think we need to have all the facts, to make an informed decision," Mitch declared. "Can you please tell us what Seto said in his message?"

Sky explained, omitting the part where he'd flipped out about Ember.

"So," Jerome rumbled. "We are _assuming_ that he's been captured."

"It's pretty obvious!" Sky said hotly.

Jerome went on as though he hadn't heard. "'Friend' would seem to be a benign term."

"Jerome, he was screaming his head off!" Ty hissed.

"And finally, he actually said not to come rescue him. So why, exactly, are we trying to rescue Seto from a friendly entity that he doesn't want rescued from? Or _need_ rescued from?"

"He said he was about to die, you fluffy blockhead!"

"Sky, calm down," Ian ordered. "Does anyone have a comment?"

"It is my proposal to let things resolve as they may. It doesn't seem to me that Seto is in harm's way, as _some people_ are claiming," Jerome said, baring his teeth at Sky. The Bacca was clearly angry because of Sky's reckless insult.

"I second Fluf- er, Jerome's- proposal," Mitch said.

"If I may?" Ember asked.

"Go on," Ian said, looking slightly pleased that she was deferring to him.

"I believe that, unlike what _some people_ are saying, that this situation has clear evidence towards something being seriously wrong. However, whether you choose to assist or abandon your friends is not my business. I do, however, think that someone or a group of someones should journey to the nearest Ender Stronghold and discover what they can. This is my counterproposal."

"Second!" Sky said immediately. Holy Notch, she was good. The way Ember had worded that slapped at Mitch and Jerome's suggestion to abandon Seto. He could hardly believe his ears that they'd even broached such an idea. It was insanity.

"I think that, assuming that there are no other proposals, we should put the issue to a vote." Everyone began to nod.

"Wait! I think that we should immediately go to rescue Seto. There's no way we can just abandon him," Ty said. "That's what friends do. They help each other."

"Seconded," said Bonks. "Seto is our ally, teammate, and friend. We need to do everything in our power to extricate him from this situation."

"Alright. So three proposals- one to leave it to chance, one to find more information, and one to immediately try to retrieve Seto. Are we ready to vote?" Ian asked.

"Yes," came the chorus of voices.

"Mitch?"

"I vote to leave the matter in Notch's hands," he said. _That's just code for 'Good riddance, Seto,'_ Sky thought angrily

"Jerome?"

"I'm with Mitch."

"Ty?"

"We need to get Seto, right now."

"Sky?"

"I… come back to me, please." How was he supposed to choose? His friend and his girlfriend were divided on the issue. And both of their sides had their merits.

"Very well. Husky?"

"I'm going to say we need more information."

"Ian? Oh, wait, that's me. I think we should follow Ember's suggestion. Bonks?"

"Save Seto, as soon as possible."

"Sky? You're the last to vote, as Ember is not yet a member of our Team."

He had to decide? Sky had to choose- whether to save Seto from something that he felt in his gut was going to hurt him, or find out more information and hopefully bring the Team around. "I- I… we need more information." In his heart, he knew that a rescue attempt would fail without the concerted effort of Team Crafted.

"That leaves us at two votes for Jerome's proposal, two votes for Ty's, and the winning total of three for Ember's proposal of gathering information."

"So, we chose to just dilly-dally around?" Bonks snarled.

"It's better than the alternative," Ty said placatingly. "We'll at least have another vote."

"That we will, once our information crew comes back. I propose that one person from each position on the voting be sent to find out what's going on. That way all sides will be able to see firsthand all the data," Ian suggested.

It was a good idea. It would definitely satisfy most of the group, and that was a difficult thing to do. However, no one seemed to want to speak up. "I think that's a great idea," Sky said. "Seconded."

"I think that it'll be better than all of one side going. I approve," said Ty.

"Agreed," Jerome said.

"Are all in favor?" Ian asked. Sky thought that he looked a little bit excited that his idea was being taken seriously.

"Yes," was the answer.

"Now we just have to decide who's going."

"I will," Mitch said immediately.

"Jerome, any objections?"

"Nope. Mitch can go."

"So Mitch _will_ go. Bonks, Ty?" Ian said.

"Ty should go," Bonks announced.

"I'm alright with that," Ty said.

"Mitch and Ty. Alright. Sky and Husky? It's one of you, because I would be useless in an emergency. If my glasses slipped _at all_…" Ian didn't need to continue.

"I'll go," Sky said. He had to be a part of this, and he needed to look after Ty.

"Sure. I'm going out on a limb and saying that a giant walking fish is not going to be that helpful," Husky said with a weak grin.

"Fair enough," Ian smiled. "So Sky, Mitch, and Ty will be going to check out the stronghold."

"And Ember," Ember added. "I'm coming."

"Yay! I mean, uh, that's great!" Sky shouted enthusiastically. Yes! She was coming!

"I don't see any problems with that," Ty said thoughtfully.

Mitch hesitated before agreeing. "Fine. She can come."

"Well, that's settled, then. You guys should leave as soon as possible."

"Deal."

"Deal."

"Deal."

"Deal," Sky said.

* * *

**Wow. My chapters are getting longer. On a side note, I want to thank everyone who's been helping me with my, ah, furry little problem (tell me in the comments if you get the reference). I'm almost ransomed! I need to get out of here... The bunnies! They are making me eat carrots! I HATE CARROTS!**

**Also, I have a poll going on in my profile. If you'd like to vote, check it out! Thanks, as always for reading! It's a dream come true for me to be sharing my writing. Please review if you have the time, I always read them and I love to hear what you have to say! But... I must go. The bunny guard is coming my way...**

**Pink Bunny Guard: Stop writing already!**

**Nafia: Erm... these clicking sounds you hear... they aren't typing. I'm, err, eating carrots.**

**Bunny Guard: Oh. That makes total sense, given that you've flipped out the last twenty times we tried to make you eat your carrots.**

**Nafia: I know! Total sense!**


	24. Chill

"Ty, are you alright?" Sky asked, slowing his pace to walk beside his friend. Ty hadn't said a word since leaving Headquarters that morning. Seven hours of silence.

"I'm fine," he said stiffly, a hint of a warning in his voice.

"You don't sound fine."

"Lay off, will you?" Ty snapped.

"No," Sky replied, more sure by the minute that something was wrong. "Ty, chill. I'm not trying to mess with you."

Ty sighed, his shoulders slumping. "It's just… last night. And… I- I miss Jason so much. We were always so in sync, you know?"

"I know."

"We were best friends. Hell, we were practically brothers, or really it was more like twins. It's like losing half of yourself, but there's no chance of ever finding it again, finding someone who fits you so well. He was half of me, and now that's gone."

"Like your headphones?" Mitch suggested. "Remember when you'd taken Jason's piece of pie, and he flipped out, and then stole your headphones? And you chased him through the house, and we locked all the doors so he couldn't get away, and you caught him and tied him to his bunk and left him there for nine hours straight?" Sky hadn't known he'd been listening.

Ty froze, face turning pale. "I-I remember."

"Mitch. Not helping," Sky said through gritted teeth. _How could Mitch be so tactless?_

Mitch ignored him, plowing on thoughtlessly. "Then Ian declared a prank war, remember? And you and Jason and Seto teamed up, and replaced Jerome's shampoo with one of Seto's crazy hair loss potions, so for a month the Bacca was bald? All over?"

"Mitch…"

"Then Jason turned on Seto, and replaced his spell book with a cookbook? And Seto didn't realize at first, and started to read recipes aloud when he was trying to teleport us all somewhere? That was so stupid of Seto!" He put on a ridiculous voice. _"Add one tablespoon of cornstarch to warm water. This will result in a colloid that will be used to thicken the gravy."_

"Mitch!" Sky barked.

"Yeah?"

"Please, pretty please, shut up." Sky could see Ty's eyes turning wild as he looked for a way out of this situation.

"Fine, Sky. Whatever."

Ty let out a breath as Mitch walked up to join Ember at the front of their little group. "Thanks. Sky, I owe you big-time right now."

Sky caught Ty's arm; the shorter teen looked up at him expectantly. "No, Ty. You don't owe me anything."

"I'll find a way to pay you back, anyway," Ty insisted. "None of the rest of the Team would have come to help me like you did, except maybe Ian and Bonks. And both of them would be checking me into an asylum right now, if they hadn't done it already."

Sky couldn't say anything, simply because it was true. The team would have been swift in its action, to 'help' Ty. Sky, for his part, knew that it would leave Ty even worse off to have someone trying to cure him. Only time could heal this kind of hurt.

"Guys, should we camp here for the night?" Mitch asked, interrupting Sky's train of thought. "Or do we keep going?"

"I think we should camp," Sky said, relieved that he'd have a chance to sleep.

"Agreed. Otherwise we'll have to listen to Grumpy Sky all through tomorrow," Ty said.

"Hey!"

"Looks like we'll camp," Ember agreed, ignoring Sky's mewl of protest. "This is the best spot we've come across."

It was, indeed, a good spot, the ground flat and the trees few and far between. There was a nearby pond, where even now Sky could see some fish jumping. _Fish. Fish are food. Food is good._

"I'm hungry!" he and Mitch said simultaneously.

"Good for you," Ember muttered sarcastically. "Sky, you and Mitch set up camp. Ty, you and I are going fishing to feed those two." She rolled her eyes and smiled at Sky.

Ty looked at Sky, clearly wondering the same thing about the groupings. Did Ember know, or at least suspect what Ty had done? Was this an attempt to pry the truth out of Ty? And how would Ember react if she found out what had happened last night?

Still, she'd left them with no way to back out of the suggested groups without arousing suspicion. "S-sure," Ty stammered, still confused. "That's alright."

"So glad you approve! Sky, Mitch, you want food, you make camp."

"You want camp, you go get food," Sky retorted. "I'm-

"Hungry, yes," she said with a smirk, stepping close and kissing him on the lips. Sky wrapped his hands around Ember's waist, holding her close as he kissed her in return. He could feel her heartbeat, running just slightly faster than his own.

"Watch the PDAs, man!" Mitch called, faking gagging noises. Sky ignored him as Ember shivered slightly and pressed closer, her tongue sliding into his mouth. It felt so good, to taste, and feel and smell Ember, all at the same time. He parted her lips with his tongue, exploring her mouth.

Sky had always thought it ridiculous in movies when the characters kissed (not that he watched many movies with kissing; the Team generally preferred exceptionally violent action movies). It had seemed staged, probably because it was. But this seemed so natural, so perfect, so right. Ember was amazing. _And you are a love-struck clown_, his brain reminded him. She pulled back to breathe, arms still around his waist. Sky didn't want to ever let her go.

Then his stomach growled loudly in a desperate demand for attention, and Ember laughed, her ice blue eyes flashing a deep, gorgeous purple for a split second. "We should probably focus on preventing a Grumpy Sky."

"And Hungry Mitch!"

"And a Hungry Mitch," Ember agreed, reluctantly releasing Sky from her embrace. "Come on, Ty, let's go fishing." Ty cast one last, quick, confused glance at Sky before following Ember off to the pond.

Mitch turned to Sky. "Do you know how to set up a tent? Or make a fire?"

"Erm…"

"Good. Glad we're on the same page."

* * *

**Three hours and a minor explosion later…**

* * *

Ember and Ty were returning as Sky and Mitch finally decided to abandon the tent. Somehow, in a process unknown to mankind, Sky had managed to get his entire body stuck in the pile of canvas that would have been the tent. He and Mitch were now desperately trying to extricate him from the mess.

"No, Sky, I think we knotted this pole too tightly!"

"Ow- Mitch, that's my foot!"

"Sorry!"

Ty's voice contained a certain measure of admiration as he asked, "How did you even tie a knot in a tent pole?"

"Long – _Ow_! Sky, quit kicking!—story," Mitch said, as Sky's wild thrashing ended up connecting with his nose.

"Get me out of the freaking tent!"

"That's what I'm trying to do, you idiot!"

Sky forced himself to calm down as the smothering folds of the tent closed around him._ No need to panic. I'm just trapped in a small, collapsed tent. _Great.

He could hear Ember's smirk as she asked, "How'd he end up doing this?"

"We were trying to set up the tent, and it sort of just… happened," Mitch said weakly.

"Sky, where is your face?" Ty asked.

Sky replied with a sort of choked scream. He had extreme claustrophobia, and this was practically out of his nightmares.

"Oh, yeah, forgot how you flip out when you get trapped," Mitch said casually. "Don't worry, I think Ember's probably better at this than us. She might be able to help you."

"Doesn't take much to be better than you guys," Ty commented.

Sky was trying not to panic as someone tugged on the fabric, pulling it even tighter around him. He tried to claw at the tent, to claw his way to air, to _space_.

"Sky, relax. You can still breathe. Just breathe. We can get you out. But the more you move around, the longer it'll take. It's okay, Sky. You're okay," Ember soothed, voice smooth and level. It didn't matter so much what she said, to Sky, it was simply that she was saying something, with a lot more calm than anyone else could muster right now.

"Is he claustrophobic?" Sky heard Ember ask, in the exact same quiet, even tone.

"Yeah. Very," Mitch replied. He seemed a lot less frantic now that someone else was dealing with the problem. And as everyone else calmed down, Sky felt a tiny portion of his terror ebb away.

"Alright. Sky, you don't need to freak out. Just be calm. Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Sky practically sobbed.

"Good. Now, can you lift your right arm?"

"Yeah," he said, doing so and feeling the fabric loosen as she pulled at it.

"Now your left arm."

For what felt like hours but was in reality only a few minutes, Ember untangled Sky. As she released the last flap of the tent from around his head, he felt himself launch away from the pile of canvas and into her lap, almost knocking Ember over.

"Woah, Sky!" she laughed. He laughed too, relieved beyond belief.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Sky whimpered.

"No problem," Ember said, waving a hand airily.

"I'm still going to be saying 'thank you' for probably the next ten or so hours," Sky admitted.

"I could get used to that," she smirked.

"Good, because you'll have to." He kissed her.

"If you guys are done," Ty said pointedly. "I built a fire, so we can eat soon."

"Foooooooooooddddddd…" Mitch groaned. "Fooooodddd…"

"Oh, yeah," Sky said, helping Ember to stand up. "Did you guys catch fish?"

"Mmhmm. Maybe even enough to keep you guys full."

"Debatable, Ember. We only caught, like, ten," Ty argued.

"There are only four of us. Plus the man-eating tent," Ember said, frowning slightly.

"Em, these four include Sky and Mitch. I doubt that we have enough." It was strange for Sky to hear Ty refer to Ember by her nickname. Yet, he supposed it was good that they were becoming friends. Ty definitely needed friends.

"Fair point. But I'm not going back. If you push me into a pond again…"

Wait, what?

"Ty pushed you into a pond?" Sky asked, unsure whether to laugh or be mad.

"And then I pulled him in and held his head underwater for about a full minute, yes," Ember said, tossing her black hair and grinning evilly.

"She did!" Ty groaned. "And that water was cold!"

"Interesting. I never would have guessed that, seeing as you pushed me in in the first place," Ember said, rolling her eyes.

"I can't believe I missed this," Sky said incredulously. Come to think of it, he had heard Ty's shriek of fright about an hour ago.

"Foooooddddd!" Mitch wailed, making them all laugh. Every time Sky looked at Ember, he started cracking up again. Soon, his sides ached from the uncontrollable shaking and giggling. And still he laughed.

* * *

**Hey guys! You all should be very proud of me! These last three chapters have all been over 1,500 words! I'm so awesome! Sorry. Was that uncalled for? Yeah. Probably. Review and tell me what you think! And smash that follow button with yo' face!**

**I fixed the poll thingy; it can now be accessed via my profile. I'm sorry for being a poll n00b. Thanks for reading! Also, if there are any one shots y'all would like for me to do, whether it's some part of this story from another character's perspective (this, by the way, is limited omniscient perspective from Sky), or parts of the story that I didn't tell (like what was going on at the pond), tell me in the comments. Some I cannot do, as they would be SPOILERS!**

**Peace out! AND... The bunnies are back! Run for your lives! BYE!**


	25. The Truth

After eating a dinner of fish, Sky felt himself relax. He was so full, and so warm, and so tired. But he wished that he'd managed to set up the tent.

As if reading his mind, Ember slid herself closer to Sky, glancing at the tent with a small little smile playing across her lips. "Score: Tent, one, Sky, zero," she whispered against his ear.

"Silence. It was an honorable battle, and I fought bravely," Sky whispered back, kissing her neck.

"If you lose against inanimate objects, we're in trouble," Ember murmured, lips meeting his as she turned to face him, arms latching around his neck.

"Ahem. If you two are done…" Mitch said pointedly.

"Mitch wanted a round of truth or dare," Ty interrupted. He'd seemed a lot cheerier since going fishing with Ember. Sky was glad. The change was for the better.

"Hey!"

"What?" Ty said, assuming an innocent expression.

"That wasn't what I was going to say!"

"Never mind that, it's what _I_ wanted to say. So, Ember, Sky, detangle yourselves and settle in for the official Team Crafted pastime!" Reluctantly, Sky released Ember, and they moved apart a bit.

"I call first, then!" Mitch yelled instantly. "Ty, truth or dare!"

"Dare!" Ty declared. Mitch tiptoed over to Ty and whispered something in his ear. Ty gave a soft sort of resigned moan, but got up and left the light of the fire.

"What did you tell him?" Sky asked suspiciously.

"Nothing."

"Oh, so convin- AAAIIGH!" he squealed as something wet and slimy slid down his back.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Blame Mitch!" Ty yelped.

Sky managed to pull whatever it was away from his skin. He moved it into a better light, and immediately dropped the thing. "SQUID! Mitch, he dropped a _squid_ in my shirt!"

It was, indeed, a tiny squid, its miniature tentacles waving wildly. "Hi, Sky," it said. "Ima squid!"

"Get it away from me!" Sky howled, backing up rapidly.

"Fine," Mitch said, grabbing the small cephalopod and carrying it off.

"Ty, it's your turn," Sky said, taking slow, deep breaths. He could still feel the trails of slime the squid had left. _Eurgh_.

"Em!" he called.

"Dare."

"You'll have to hurry, but while Mitch is dropping the squid off at the pond, push him in."

"Done," Ember grinned, running off into the dark. Several seconds later, they heard a loud scream and a _splash_ noise.

"You evil little bitch," Ty said admiringly as she returned, brushing her hands together.

"Thank you. I try."

"This means it's your turn, Ember."

She was still thinking as Mitch returned, water dripping off of his plaid jacket. "If anyone ever wondered why I hate this game, _this_ is my answer. Have you got your person picked yet, Ember?"

"Yeah. Sky- truth or dare?"

"Truth." He licked his lips out of nervous habit.

"Which do you like more, me or butter?"

As much as he hated to admit it, that was a tough question. But in the end, the answer was simple. "You."

"Woah."

"That's some loyalty," Ty whistled.

Ember smirked even as she cuddled against Sky's shoulder. "Your turn, Sky."

"Mitch!"

"Shit. Truth!"

"Most ridiculous way Bodil ever trolled you!" Bodil was the bane of Team Crafted's existence. He was a brilliant troll, dangerously brilliant. He could be fun to hang around with, as long as you maintained constant vigilance. Otherwise, you were dead.

Mitch sighed, thinking. "Um… Probably when he trapped me in a huge pit of lava, with a bunch of cow spawners spawning cows and giving me something to sort of stand on. I was so sure I was going to die!"

"Cow surfing!"

"That was a pretty impressive troll," Sky admitted, laughing. "Your turn, Mitch!"

"Back at you, Sky! Truth or dare?"

"Dare!"

The game went on for a while, punctuated by shouting matches and loud, spontaneous outbursts of singing. A few kisses were exchanged, multiple squids were released, and several duels occurred. Eventually, though, sometime after the second explosion, everyone became too tired to continue.

"W-w-w-we-e-e should probably g-g-g-g-go-o-o-o-o to sl-e-e-ep," Ty yawned.

"Definitely," Sky agreed, catching the yawn. "Man, I'm tired."

"I'm f-f-f-full-l-l-l-l," Mitch sighed. "I can't believe I'm not hungry."

"The power of a pond," Ember muttered. "I'm not tired. You guys should catch some z's, and I'll keep watch since we don't have a tent."

"No, Ember, I can do it," Sky said, yawning again. It wouldn't be fair for her to have to take watch.

"No, you actually can't, you chivalrous fool. You're going to fall asleep in the next few minutes." She lightened her words with a soft smile.

"I'm not going to argue. But wake me up if you want to take a break." Mitch was already snoring by this point. Ty's eyes were shut as he reclined against a stone.

Ember nodded. "Okay." Sky leaned back against one of the nearby boulders, closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth of the fire. He felt Ember's hand rest on his arm, stroking his skin gently. And to the feeling of calm and safety, he fell asleep.

_Seto was staring at him as he opened his eyes. "So she got you too. I'm sorry. I didn't want this."_

_"Seto? Wh-where am I?" The stone of his cell was a creamy tan, the bars a deep gray iron. All around, the sky was jet black, not a single star deigning to shed its light upon the ground._

_"You know. You're in the End." Seto was dressed in a long purple cloak that swept along the ground as he paced the floor outside Sky's cell. "I really wish I didn't have to do this, Adam. But my Lord leaves me little choice."_

_Seto spoke a single word, and violet energy formed around his hands. "I'm sorry," he said again, true remorse showing in his eyes. "I really am, Adam."_

_And then there was pain, and only pain, and nothing but_ _**pain**__ as it exploded behind Sky's eyes, red stars dancing across a blindingly bright field of white. The pressure in his skull slowly built, rising in a crescendo in accordance with Sky's screams._

_It ceased suddenly, leaving Sky feeling weak, falling limp to the ground. "Seto- why? Please, Seto, don't do this. It h-hurts. H-h-hurts so m-much," Sky whimpered, the throbbing in his head unbearable._

_"I'm sorry. But I answer to someone else now. Not to you. Not to Team Crafted. I serve Herobrine, the mightiest of the mighty!" An insane glow tinged Seto's pale, thin features as he spoke the words._

_"Seto, what did I ever do to you? What can I do? Anything. Just don't do that again."_

_"Anything?" Seto asked. "Because if you would truly do anything, then this is simple. You must simply join Herobrine and I and Ember."_

_He remembered now, how Ember had betrayed him. No. No. No. It couldn't be. She would never. No. No! NO!_

"NO!" Sky screamed, sitting bolt upright. He felt himself shaking, covered in a cold sweat.

"Sky, what is it?" a voice asked, concern etched into every note. Ember.

He couldn't answer, could barely breathe.

"You had a nightmare," she said gently, her purple eyes meeting his as she pulled a piece of sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes. "It's okay." Sky only managed a choked whimper. He could feel his heart racing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ember asked, pressing her fingers into the back of his neck and massaging some of the tension away. "Hell, can you even talk?"

"Y-yes," he choked out. Sky forced himself to take slow, deep breaths. "But I- I can't talk about it right now. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, kissing his forehead lightly. He snuggled against her, smelling the soothing fragrance of jasmine that she always exuded. Already he could feel himself relaxing, falling back to sleep next to Ember.

* * *

**Hello everybody! Sorry there was no chapter yesterday. I'm in school, and it gets a lot harder to update every day. Plus, I'm working on some oneshots, and still hashing out details of the plot (soon y'all will get to meet Zariah...). I try to keep writing as much as I can. Also, don't forget my review kitty! She is getting very lonely! I love to read reviews, and she does too! Help the lonely review cat!**

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	26. Creepy

"I'm hungry," were, predictably, Mitch's first words upon waking up.

"You're always hungry," Ty said, standing up and stretching with a loud yawn. "So I've learned to stop registering your complaints."

Sky yawned, too. Shifting slightly, he could see that Ember was asleep next to him. Her long eyelashes were tangled with each other. In the red light of the sunrise, her hair appeared to be a deep shade of rich purple, with light lavender streaks running through it.

He hated having to wake her up, since she'd barely slept at all the past few days, but there was no choice. They had to get to the Ender Stronghold by nightfall, so that they'd have the whole next day to explore it. There was no time to waste, as Team Crafted's vote on what to do about Seto relied on the information he, Mitch, Ty, and Ember were to procure.

Tentatively, he shook her arm. "Em," Sky whispered. "Wake up." No response. "Ember." She didn't stir. "Ember!"

She gasped, twisting. "No… no… I wouldn't… I didn't!"

"What?" he asked, before realizing that she was talking in her sleep.

"No! Sky, no, no, no, NO!" Ember cried out.

"Ember!" Sky shouted, shaking her. "Wake up!"

"No! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"What's going on?" Ty said, turning.

"EMBER!" Sky yelled.

Her eyes snapped open, huge, purple, and scared. When she saw Sky's face, her pupils grew wider until they dominated her eyes. "S-Sky?" Ember whimpered, shrinking backwards.

"It's me," he said, reaching out and touching her arm softly. "It's alright. I guess nightmares are going around this morning."

She pulled away, clearly terrified. "Y-you d-don't h-hate me?" Ember shivered.

What? "Ember, why would I hate you?" Sky asked, sliding closer to her. She flinched, but this time did not move back, as he caught her hands.

"M-my nightmare," she explained, crawling into his arms. He held her close, feeling Ember trembling against his chest.

"I don't hate you, Ember. I could never hate you." Sky could see beads of cold sweat across her forehead, sense the tension in every muscle of her body. "I'll never hate you, Em, I swear. Understand?"

"Y-yes," she said, releasing the word in a huge, shaky breath. Her eyes were slowly shifting back to blue, and the purple tone to her hair had mostly disappeared.

"Are you okay?" Ty asked, anxiety written on his face as he sat down beside them. Ember pressed against Sky, her bony, skinny shoulder hard against his ribcage.

"I'm alright," she replied, smiling weakly as Sky began to absentmindedly play with her hair.

"That wasn't the question," Ty said, mock-frowning. "Are you okay, or are you not okay?" Sky laughed at that. It was good to see Ty back to himself, or, at least, close to it. Ty noticed Sky watching and caught his eye, giving him a tiny little grin.

"I'm okay," she mumbled.

"Glad to hear it! Sky, I'm going to start packing up camp. Are we taking the tent with us?"

"No!" Sky said, startling even himself with how much the idea appalled him. No. That tent was evil.

"Fair enough. Mitch!"

"Hmm?" Mitch said, looking over at the three of them. "Why is Ember crying?"

Everyone stared at Ember. Sure enough, she _was_ crying, silent tears trailing out of the corners of her eyes. "Em? What's wrong?" Sky asked.

"Nothing," she answered quietly. "Just… a really bad dream."

"Okay," he said, wiping the tears off of her face. "If you want to talk about it, just tell me."

"I will."

"Hey, Mitch!" Ty called again.

"_What_, Ty?"

"We need to pack up camp. Since you and Sky couldn't set up the tent, that pretty much means we've got to put out the fire."

"See? It was a brilliant strategic decision!" Mitch said as he grabbed a bucket and headed off to the pond. "We knew what we were doing!"

"Mmhmm," Ty sighed, rolling his eyes and following Mitch after snagging another bucket.

"We did!" Mitch protested, just audible across the distance.

Sky turned to Ember. "Are you going to be ready to get going?"

"Yeah." Slowly, she untangled herself from Sky and stood up. Sky stood too, looking down into her ice blue eyes. Why did she look… guilty? _Splash_. Suddenly, water was everywhere, and Sky didn't have time to dwell on the matter.

"I do bad! I do bad! I apologize! I do bad!" Ty yelped. It appeared that he had dropped his bucket. According to some strange logic that no one really understood, the water had spread, increasing in volume at a ridiculous rate.

"No! Why, Ty? Why?"

"Sorry!"

"At least the fire's out," Ember said with a small smile.

Sky grinned at her. "At least that. We should probably get moving now."

"Agreed," Ty and Mitch said at the same moment.

* * *

**Time passes, with little to no event.**

* * *

They'd been walking for six hours when they came upon the creepers. It was a flock of the beasts hanging around the entrance to a cavern. "Ty, check the map," Sky whispered tensely. "And please tell me that we're going around them."

Ty stared at the map. "Sorry, Sky. The Hissing Caverns are the only way under the Diamond Sea. And we'll definitely be caught by squids if we try to take a raft."

"Daaaammmnn," Mitch groaned, extending the syllable.

"That pretty much sums it up," Sky muttered. "Aren't the Caverns supposed to be crazy hard to navigate?"

"Yeah," Ty agreed. He scanned the map again. "Oh, look, over two hundred people died last year alone!" He looked up. "That's down from four hundred the year before."

"Thrilling. I can barely contain my excitement," Sky said dryly. This would be… interesting.

"I've been through the caverns," Ember said suddenly. "I can lead us."

"Great!" Mitch yelled enthusiastically. A little too enthusiastically.

Every creeper in the area turned towards them, mouths dropping into identical frowns. Shit. With a unanimous hiss, the creepers advanced upon them.

"Battle plans, Ty?"

"Run like an ocelot!" Ty decided, already sprinting back the way they'd come. "There's a cliff this way. Maybe we can parkour up!"

Sky raced after him, Mitch close on his heels. The hissing of the creepers faded somewhat as they increased the distance. Ty had outstripped them with his breakneck pace almost immediately, and so he was waiting for them at the base of the cliffs, breathing hard. "Are you up for this?" Sky asked, concerned. With the injuries to his wrist, and the energy he'd just spent running, Ty didn't seem like he'd be in great condition for trying to climb a sheer rock cliff.

However, Ty gave him an exhausted grin. "Of course. Geez, this is going to be awesome. Did you see how unstable most of the handholds are going to be? And how far between the ledges are?"

"Ty, we're being chased by creepers. I don't think that that qualifies as 'awesome,'" Sky hissed.

"Whatever. That just adds to the challenge. And- _what the hell is Ember doing_?" Ty shouted, staring at something over Sky's shoulder.

Sky wheeled, and felt his mouth drop open. He'd thought that Ember was right behind him. Instead, she'd stopped running, about two hundred yards away. The creepers had nearly caught up with her. "Guys, don't stop! Keep moving! I know what I'm doing!" she called. "Go!"

"Ember!"

"Go, Sky! I know what I'm doing!" She looked perfectly calm, standing still on the crest of a hill.

"Let's do what she says," Mitch said nervously, turning back to the cliff face and clambering onto a ledge. Ty followed him, grabbing Sky by the collar and trying to drag him up.

"Ty, _let go of me_," Sky growled. "I have to help her."

"She knows what she's doing, Sky. You need to get moving. Like Ember said."

"Ty…"

"You wouldn't let me hurt myself. It's my turn to pay a bit of that back. _You are not _turning into crazy chivalry boy and running suicidally off to a pack of creepers to 'heroically defend' a girl who, from what I've seen, can more than take care of herself," Ty said brusquely, glaring into Sky's sunglasses.

"Alright," Sky mumbled, dropping his eyes.

"Good." Ty released Sky and hopped lightly onto the next rocky outcrop. Sky followed him up, hating himself with every jump. Shouldn't he help Ember? What was he doing, leaving her like this? But Ty's argument made sense. Ember seemed to know what she was doing. And yet…

A huge roar came from behind him. The noise deafened Sky; the light blinding him; the heat burning his skin. Turning slightly, he couldn't see anything except smoke and the fading light of the fiery explosions. And a small figure falling down from the enormous height to which it had been blown.

Ember.

* * *

**I think I'll end this here... Thanks for reading! A new chapter will come as soon as I'm able! Review if you have the chance; I always love feedback. And the bunnies still have me prisoner... Ten follows and I go free! Please help me out!**


	27. Amulet

Sky raced across the expanse of grass that separated him from the epicenter of the blast. He didn't care that Ty was yelling at him to be careful, that Mitch was telling him to slow down. All Sky knew was that he needed to get to Ember _now_.

He couldn't see her through the smoke, which still filled the area, creating a gray-white screen. Though it burned his eyes and stung his nose, Sky kept moving, climbing down into the huge, gaping crater that had clearly been created by the creepers's explosions.

A piece of dirt dislodged under his foot, sending him tumbling down with a thud. It hurt, but he'd be alright. But Ember… Ember had fallen farther, fallen harder. No. No. No. A skittering noise beside him distracted Sky, and he looked up to see Ty sliding down the edge of the pit towards him, his face a mirror of Sky's own anxious one.

"Do you think she's okay?" Sky asked desperately.

Ty's hesitation was an answer, but he tried to cover it up by saying, "Yes."

"You don't believe that. You think she's dead."

"Sky… you saw how far she fell. I- I- I'm sorry."

Sky felt tears start to claw at his eyes, but not because of the smoke. "You're wrong," he whispered. "She has to be alive."

Ty didn't say anything, just reached up and wiped the tears that had run under the sunglasses off of Sky's face, in much the same way that Ember had done so that morning. "We'll look. Of course we'll look. And if she's here, we'll find her." In a lower, quieter tone, he added, "I'm not losing three friends. Seto, J-Jason, and now Ember. _I'm not_."

"AH SHIT!" Mitch yelled as he came crashing down the slope, skidding into Ty and knocking him over. "Sorry about that," he panted, gasping for air. "Did you guys see that… that thing?"

"What thing?" Ty asked as Sky helped him to his feet, and wincing when Sky accidentally squeezed his arm a bit too much. Sky still had trouble remembering about the scars that lined the inside of his friend's forearm.

"That thing. It had huge wings, that's really all I could see, and it flew out of the smoke, off towards the caverns."

"We would have heard that, or at least seen a silhouette. You must have imagined it," Ty decided.

"Guys…"

"Let's start looking," Sky said, feeling his jaw stiffen slightly. He couldn't lose Ember. He would find her.

"I'm coming with you," Ty declared. "Mitch, why don't you go to the center of the crater? Sky and I will take the perimeter. Alright?"

"I want to g- mmph!" Sky said as Ty clapped his hand over his mouth.

"Alright?" he repeated, staring at Mitch.

"Um… sure," Mitch agreed, turning and walking away.

Ty released Sky once Mitch was out of earshot. "You can't go with him," he said firmly as Sky opened his mouth to ask just that.

"I need to help Ember. That's where she's going to be. She'll be in the center," Sky growled.

"She might be on the edge."

"It's not _likely_," Sky replied petulantly.

Ty sighed. "Fine. The reason I'm not letting you go to the center is because, if Ember's there, she won't be, erm, in the best shape. She'll have injuries, at, um, the least."

"That's why I need to go! Can't you see?"

"Sky, could you really handle that? Finding her…" He didn't need to finish.

_Dead_. The word landed the same as if it had been spoken. Dead, broken on the ground. That's how they were almost certainly going to find Ember, Sky knew. But he couldn't bear to think of that. "Ty… I need to know."

Ty sighed, running a hand through the chunk of hair that always fell into his eyes. "Soon you will. I just don't want you to end up… end up like me." He pulled back the sleeve of his shirt, letting his eyes run over the slightly puffy scars that stood in sharp contrast to his pale skin. He'd taken off the bandages, since he'd seen Mitch glance curiously at his arms once or twice.

"I'd never do something like that, Ty," Sky found himself saying. "It's crazy."

Ty glanced up, pain filling his face before he dropped his eyes. "Let's go find your _friend_."

"Sorry," Sky said, feeling horribly guilty.

"I don't care, Sky, I really don't."

"I'm sorr-

"Just leave it!" Ty snapped, head swinging around as he glared at Sky, the hurt in his eyes clear. "Just leave it, can't you?"

Sky fell silent, leaving them both to their thoughts as they checked around the perimeter. Just as Sky had anticipated, there was no sign of Ember. Every now and then, he glanced at Ty, who was refusing to look at him. Ty's eyes had a certain red tinge, though, and just as with Sky's eyes it wasn't from the smoke.

The cold, stony frigidity that had grown between them was broken by a shout. "Ty and J- sorry, Sky! You need to see this!"

"Ember," Sky muttered, sprinting off in the direction of Mitch's voice. Ty followed on his heels, jumping easily over the stones and fallen trees that Sky had to run around.

Mitch was standing by a… well, by a distinct lack of anything. There was no body, which made the icy vise around Sky's heart loosen somewhat. There was, however, a large bloodstain, and a trail of droplets leading away from it. The gravel that covered the ground was scuffed slightly, as though someone or something had dragged a body away.

"Sky, can you track this?" Ty asked, crouching down by the marks in the gravel. The crimson drops of blood were still wet.

"I- I don't know. I think so…"

Mitch took a deep breath. "Do we have time to find her?"

Sky let his face harden. "Yes, we do," he spat, venom dripping off of every word. The idea of not trying to help Ember was unthinkable.

"I was just asking," the other teen replied meekly.

"Good."

"It looks like the trail goes this way," Ty said slowly, not looking up as he stepped along the tracks, following them closely.

Sky nodded, moving in Ty's wake. The two of them were experienced trackers, and had often worked together to find Seto's little black cat, Thimble. Thimble often ran away, and Seto would become exceptionally distraught. He loved that cat despite, or perhaps because of, the strange mannerisms it had developed after so much exposure to magic. Either way, Thimble was certainly much harder to track than… whatever they were currently tracking.

He froze. Sky could feel something throbbing, pulsing around his neck as his shoe brushed against one of the bloodstains. The amulet. It had only ever done this once, when he had been in the Nether looking for glowstone and had a near run-in with a Wither.

"Sky…?" Ty asked, looking at him nervously, their earlier quarrel seemingly forgotten. Sky felt a surge of guilt for all the time he'd taken Ty's friendship and loyalty for granted.

"The amulet," he said shortly.

"That means danger, doesn't it?" Ty said, not needing an answer. Of course. That was the whole point of the amulet, to warn the wearer of evil, and to try to give some measure of protection from creatures of the End and Nether. "What do you think it is? Whatever took Em?"

That was the only thing that made sense, and yet… it was Ember's blood that was setting the amulet off. "I guess," Sky mumbled, trying to convince himself. Of course that was it. Nothing else made sense.

"Dude," Ty said disbelievingly. "You don't actually think that it's Ember making your necklace go crazy, right?"

"…"

"At least she's alive, Sky. We can find her, and if the girl who just snogged your face off last night is actually some murderous psychopath, then we'll cross that highly unlikely metaphorical bridge when we come to it," Ty added, rolling his eyes.

"Well, if she snogs his face off, then that's attempted murder, right?" Mitch asked.

Sky had to laugh, but he sobered quickly. "But that would mean…"

"Yeah. Whatever captured her is big-time evil."

"Shit," Mitch said, summing it all up in one word.

* * *

**Hey, all! I hope you guys are enjoying, and for those of you that got scared, no, I did ****_not_**** kill Ember. Because I'm so nice! Thank you to everyone who's reviewed this story, and to those of you following this. It means so much to me to be able to share my writing. Please leave a review if you have the time!**

**Sky:** Nafia, are you obsessed with cliffies again?

**Nafia:** Well, duh.

**Sky:** Why!? Why do you do this?

**Nafia: **Because I want to! Yay! And, the bunnies are making me angry!

**Sky: **WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND THE BUNNIES!?


	28. Not You

They had arrived at the entrance to the caverns. The bloody trail continued down into the dark, and Sky winced to think of what might have happened to Ember in that time. What sort of wound bled for this long?

Ty stepped up close, nudging his shoulder. "We'll find her. She's going to be alright. Okay?"

"Okay," Sky whispered, clutching Ty's hand in a way that felt childish but comforting. Ty squeezed his hand back, his crimson eyes holding nothing but concern.

"So, are we going or not?" Mitch asked, stepping up behind them.

"Going," Ty and Sky said at the exact same moment.

"Then move!" he cried, pushing them towards the ominous maw of the cavern. "We have a plane to catch. Or rather, a girl, who is most likely being killed or tortured while we speak."

Sky froze. Of course. It's not like the unnamed thing that had captured her would be just be handing out cupcakes and telling jokes, right? Ty caught sight of Sky's whitening face and wheeled to glare at Mitch, who simply threw up his hands in surrender.

"What did I say?"

"You tactless idiot," Ty groaned.

Sky wasn't listening; he was barely even registering the sounds. Ember. Oh no. Ember. He ran along the trail mindlessly, not noticing Ty calling for him to slow down, or Mitch yelling his apologies. The cave was dark, and seemingly endless, and it grew harder to detect the trail.

It felt like he had been running forever. The cavern was filled with bats, which erupted into shrieking columns as Sky breezed past. However, far more ominous than the dark-winged mammals were the occasional skeletons that lay, bones scattered about, across the floor. Once Sky took a wrong turn and found himself face-to-face with a grinning skull, flesh still rotting around the cheekbones, hair still attached to the glittering, stark white bone.

It was too much. Too much. All of this on top of his current fright over Ember left him a shaking wreck. He crept along the trail at a much slower pace when he saw the scrap of… of torn apart flesh that lay on the ground, in the middle of the bloody trail. Sky felt himself collapse in horror and disgust.

Ty eventually caught up with Sky, who was slumped at the base of an enormous stalagmite. "Ty, I- I… look." He pointed a shaking finger at the crimson hunk that lay in the way of the trail.

The shorter boy just stood there, mouth wide open in shock and revulsion. "We should keep moving. Sky, I swear to you, she isn't dead. We'll find her."

"How can you promise that?" Sky asked, his voice emotionless.

"Because if she were dead, we'd find a lot more blood," Ty said flatly.

That… made sense, in a gory, morbid, and disturbing way. "Alright," he finally mumbled. "So… let's keep going."

"Agreed. Follow me," he replied, tugging Sky to his feet as Mitch arrived, slightly out of breath.

"Still tired from last Hunger Deenz," Mitch said by way of explanation.

"Mmhmm. C'mon Sky."

"What? Oh. Oh yeah!"

Ty rolled his eyes and started walking, stopping every now and then to find the bloodstains that were their only guide. There was something decidedly eerie about following a path of blood in the dark of a cave that was famous for the amount of deaths that those who dared to plumb its depths suffered.

They had been wandering the dark for hours, with lots of backtracking and grumbling. Ty had cursed and spontaneously changed direction several times, which was… worrying, to say the least. Trailing the still-wet blood, and now occasional scraps of flesh and anonymous gore in the dark was a difficult and disturbing task, which was not made easier by the fact that the wet blood was often crisscrossed by dried crimson stains from other unfortunate travelers.

Sky felt certain that they were lost, and was about to say something, when Ty suddenly stood up from where he'd been kneeling by the tracks.

"Look."

Sky had missed the faint sliver of light that was trickling through the rocks ahead. "Good. We're almost out of here!"

"Praise Notch!" Mitch sighed. Ty gave a loud whoop.

"The goes that way! We're out of here!"

The trio made their way out of the cave and into the comparatively blinding sunlight. Sky blinked a few times, then refocused. _Ember. _"Ty, can you see the… the blood?"

"Yes, Sky. It leads… oh."

The tracks led up to a huge cliff face, its sheer stone sides covered with thick, flowering vines. That would have been interesting enough, if not for the fact that the blood led through the wide open doors on said cliff face. To the Ender Stronghold.

Sky vanished through the doors without a second thought, plunging into the darkness that was only broken by the dim light of the sparse torches. _Ember Ember Ember Ember must find Ember must find Ember._ That was the only thing he could think of as he descended the staircase, sword drawn.

"Sky!" Ty yelled. "Be careful!" He and Mitch had followed Sky through the doors and into the shadows.

"We're close! I have to help Ember!" he shouted back. They would only try to stop him. They'd try to keep him from doing what he needed to do. Ember had been hurt. Ember needed help, needed Sky.

"We know, you idiot! Slow down and let us freaking help!"

"No! Ty, I need to help her!"

"You're not going to be useful if you impale yourself on your own sword!" Mitch warned him, and Sky sighed, slowing his pace just enough for them to catch up. Mitch was right.

"Good," Ty said approvingly as Sky stopped in front of a door. "Now calm down, Sky."

He would have, if a muffled sob hadn't sounded from the other side of the wall.

* * *

Oh no. What was happening? Sky threw himself at the wall, crying helplessly. "Ember! We're coming! We'll get you out!" he called, hoping that whatever was doing _this_ to her would hear and be distracted. "Ember!"

"Sky…"

"Ember!"

"_Sky…_"

"Ember!" Sky screamed, punctuating each cry of her name with a leap at the door.

"SKY!" Ty bellowed again. "Calm the hell down and let us try to get the freaking door open!"

"EMBER!" Sky wailed as Ty locked his arms behind his back, pulling him away from his assault of the door.

"Mitch, get this sucker open," Ty said, wincing as Sky writhed desperately and kicked his shin.

"EMBER!"

"Easy," Mitch replied calmly, talking a lock pick out of his jacket pocket and inserting it. After he fiddled with it for a few seconds, he twisted the handle, and the door slid open, revealing a dark room with the Ender Portal in it.

"Ember! I'm going to kill whatever hurt you!" Sky shouted, rushing into the room after successfully wrestling free of Ty. His friends were on his heels as he advanced on the Portal.

The doors swung shut behind him, leaving the room in pitch darkness except for the faint glow of the Portal. "Ember?" Ty called nervously.

"I'm here," her voice said, with a slight catch to it.

"Ember! Quick, we need to get out of here! Whatever's captured you… it's evil, Em, we need to move! It'll come back any minute."

"It's here now," Ember said quietly.

"Where?"

"Right here," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Sky. But I had to do this. I'm so, so sorry."

"What? Ember, what are you talking about?"

His eyes had adjusted to the dimness, and he could pick out a strange silhouette on the edge of the Portal's frame. Sky could see its lips move as Ember spoke again. "This."

The room illuminated in a flash of purple as snaking tendrils of energy erupted up from around Ember, whipping out and catching both Ty and Mitch, Ty around the waist, and Mitch around the throat. Mitch grabbed his sword and tried to slash at Ember. Her sword moved like lightning, parrying his strike easily and scoring a shallow groove along his wrist.

The energy tightened around Mitch's neck. "I don't recommend moving," Ember said quietly. "It will cause your discomfort to increase exponentially."

Mitch let out a sort of choked gurgle.

"Glad you understand."

Ty was pulling at the energy, futilely straining against the magic. The tendrils snapped, smashing him against the wall, and he yelped in pain. The ribbons of energy crackled again, pulling back for another blow.

"No, Zariah!" Ember shouted, and the snakes of light relaxed somewhat. "We don't want to hurt them more than necessary," she breathed.

Now that there was better lighting, Sky could see that her eyes and hair were an intense, gorgeous amethyst. She also had purple wings and a slender tail that was wrapped sinuously around her legs, the tip twitching like that of a cat.

"Who's Zariah?"

"Someone for another time, Ty," Ember said, her gaze flicking off of her prisoner and over to Sky.

"Ember," Sky whispered in horrified disbelief, "why?" No. No. No. She wouldn't betray him. This wasn't happening.

She sighed, and when he met her eyes, he could've sworn they held tears. "Because I serve Herobrine."

"No," he trembled. "No, no, no, no, NO! EMBER!"

* * *

**Sky, what did I say about stranger danger? New chapter coming soon, sorry for the late update!**


	29. Zariah

**Hey, all! Sorry for the late update. BLAME THE BUNNIES! This story is drawing to a close (next chapter will be the last), and I just don't want it to end. Also, I've been messing around with some story ideas, and one has quite captured me. Thank you for reading so far; it really has been an amazing ride. Enjoy the second-to-last chapter!**

**Also, for everyone who reads orchidlove123's stories (you should check her out), she asked me to say that she is busy with school shtuff, and so she won't be able to update. It is something I find highly aggravating, as she's gotten me hooked. Oh well. She has school. BUT I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! OMG TELL MEH!**

**Apologies for random insanity. Not! Anyway, the line tool has gone MIA, so consider the following a line.**

**It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line Yes I'm insane It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line**

Sky imagined himself falling towards the ground, his heart in his throat. This, he decided, is what it would feel like. This emptiness. This sense of helplessness as the world slapped him in the face.

"It's true," Ember said softly.

"Ember, you don't have to let it end like this," Ty pleaded as the tendrils of energy tightened around him, one sliding up his neck to wrap around his neck. "Let us go. We never did anything to hurt you."

Her expression turned to stone. "Sky and Mitch didn't, but you did."

Ty cursed. "Are you still mad about the pond? Because I'm sorry."

"Hmm," she growled. "No, I think it was the time you tried to kill me that has me mad right now. But it wouldn't matter if you had or hadn't done that. I have my orders, from the Lord of Darkness himself."

"When did I try to kil-

"When the dragon attacked," Sky interrupted him. He addressed Ember. "That was you, wasn't it? And the scale in your neck… that was from when Ty had stabbed you. When you shifted forms, somehow it didn't and was left behind."

"Very good," she replied, her wings fluttering slightly before nestling between her shoulder blades.

"The dragons… when the squids tried to kill us… that was real."

"Of course it was. How else would you have gotten out of there alive?"

"You've been lying this whole time," Sky said, feeling sick.

Ember ran a hand through her violet hair, pulling it out of her eyes. "Yeah," she admitted. "Pretty much."

"I can't believe you," Ty said, staring at her as the rope of energy wrapped around his neck.

"You shouldn't. I'm a liar. I'm a traitor."

Sky didn't know what to say, what he should do. How are you supposed to react to finding out that the person you love is working against you? Has been lying to you? He leaned back against the doors to the Portal room, sagging down. "Em, you… why?"

"I have orders to bring you alive to the Ender Realm. It isn't as easy as you might think. I can open portals to it, of course, but they won't work for something without ties to the End. So I'd have to bring you here. Unfortunately, your amulet prevented me from using force. So you had to come willingly. That's what this has been about, Sky. I never came to save Seto, although that was a useful excuse to get you down to a Stronghold."

She continued. "I was the one who captured Seto in the first place. I convinced Herobrine that he was worth sparing and persuading to join our side. His powers are weak next to mine, but they will develop. He is one of us, after all."

"Seto… a dragon?" Sky asked. He was too numb to be shocked.

"No! Seto has powers, though. His magic. He's… special, unlike the average humans. That makes him worthy of our cause."

"Which is…?" Ty said, glaring at her, hate and hurt in equal measures shining in his eyes.

"To create a world where all those who are different, who are special, who possess extraordinary abilities, can live in safety." She swung her head around. "Mitch, you never treated Seto as an equal. You thought of him as somehow less than you. In our world, he's more, so much more than you. I think… I think Seto will be simply _delighted_ when we bring you to him," Ember purred, her purple eyes glinting like crystals.

Mitch didn't respond except for the whitening of his already pale face.

"You're insane. Ember… this… this is _insane_. Herobrine only destroys. He doesn't create," Sky protested. Maybe he could convince her to give this madness up.

"He is creating, Sky. Herobrine is creating a new world, a new age."

"What does he need me for?"

She smiled coldly. "That will be explained to you in time. But now, you need to come with me. Take off the amulet."

Sky couldn't just surrender to Herobrine's whims. But he couldn't, he wouldn't be able to stand the idea of hurting Ember, fighting her and possibly killing her. _She was insane, she didn't know what she was doing…_ His mind raced to find excuses for her, reasons other than 'Ember is evil.'

"Em… you know I can't."

Her face contorted, scales erupting over her skin. "**Then… yessss… kill… tear…"** Ember's voice lowered to a hiss, as claws extended from her nails and she dropped to all fours. Sky drew his sword.

"No!" she shrieked, back to her normal voice. "Zariah, out of my head!" She stood up, the talons and scales disappearing.

"What?" Sky asked, confused. Who was Zariah?

Ember swayed and crashed down again, her hands wrapping over her head. "No… no… stay out… STAY OUT!"

Ty shifted slightly, drawing Sky's attention away from the shaking, pale girl in front of him. He mouthed the words, _Get her. Now._

Sky nodded, realizing that this might be his only chance to try to stop her without killing her. He'd have to incapacitate her somehow.

"No…" she whimpered. "Zariah, we can't kill them! We can't! We have orders!"

Her voice deepened as the other… thing, Zariah, took over. "**Our orders are only for the one. I will kill the others.**"

Ember screamed as she took control again. "No! You won't! We won't hurt them!" She didn't seem to see Sky as her gaze swung up to meet his. "No! ZARIAH, STAY OUT! Leave me alone!" Tears ran down her face as she struggled to maintain dominance over… whatever Zariah was.

It was hard to reconcile this crying, shaking girl with the one who had betrayed Sky and his friends only minutes ago. Ember was in obvious agony, and Sky wanted so much to take her hand, hold her close until she calmed down. But he couldn't. He couldn't, because she was a traitor. She served the god of evil, for crying out loud!

He had to stop her. No matter what, he had to stop her, and this might be his best opportunity.

Sky extended his sword and swung the flat of his blade down at her skull. It connected, and Ember collapsed into unconsciousness, the ropes around Ty and Mitch vanishing, and the door reopening, light filtering once more. Mitch clutched at his throat, gasping for air. Ty wrapped his arm across Sky's shoulders. "It's okay, Sky," he soothed. "We'll work this out."

"She… she's _evil_," Sky sobbed. "I love her, and she betrayed us."

"Sky, we can figure it out," Ty promised as Sky buried his face in his shoulder, crying. "Dude, you better not be getting snot on me."

Despite everything that had happened, Sky had to laugh. "I'm not," he said thickly, tasting salt as his tears ran into his mouth. He stood up, and turned to Ember. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with her deep purple hair, which fell across her face as she sprawled on the ground. Ember's violet and black wings wrapped in a protective cocoon around her body, and her tail was coiled around one of her legs.

"Now," Ty said while helping Mitch to stand. "Should we take her with us, or leave her here?"

They didn't have to decide. Ember's body began to glow a dark purple, and she sat up, opening her eyes. Instead of purple human eyes, they were now pupilless and had no whites, and were simply consumed by a single shade of purple.

**"Foolssss,"** she hissed. **"You cannot take her away without releasing me."**

"Stab it," Mitch said, swinging his sword without hesitation at the thing.

The creature that wore Ember's body smiled, and then a sphere of dark energy erupted, stopping Mitch's sword and encasing it in a dark purple outline. There was a shattering noise, and the sword splintered into a thousand glittering shards, and Mitch jumped backwards. **"Ember thought better of you all. Pity for you she was wrong. I will keep you alive, ****_Adam_****, because Herobrine wants you, but the rest must perish." **The creature looked at Ty, purple eyes blazing, and he screamed.

"Wait!" Sky shouted. "Stop!"

Whatever it was that controlled Ember's body looked at him. **"No."**

"You're Zariah, aren't you?"

She blinked. **"Yes. But that does not matter. I will kill them."**

"You know that I must come willingly to the End."

**"Ember will convince you. I do not bother with such trivial matters." **Zariah winced suddenly.

"Sk…" Ember's voice started to say, weakly.

**"No! I will destroy them! I am in charge, Ember! You will not defeat me!" **Zariah turned back to Ty, and he screamed again. This time, Sky could see as his chest began to smoke, the scent of burning flesh filling the air. He collapsed, the fire that was under his skin eating away at him.

"Zariah! Stop!"

**"Why should I? Listen to the music of his screams, Adam, and rejoice that they are not yours."** Ty cried out in agony, twisting on the floor, black patches of charred skin visible.

Sky swung his sword, and Zariah hissed in rage and pain as it, surprisingly, made contact. Purple blood oozed out of the shallow cut on her forearm. "I will kill you if you don't stop."

**"You do not have the power." **Her voice was weaker now.

Ty screeched loudly, and as Sky turned, he saw something that he'd never forget. Purple flames were licking at Ty's eyes, bursting up from the sockets and consuming his eyes. Ty screamed again, pressing his hands to his face. Sky knew that he had no time. He was out of options as he dropped his sword. "If you let him and Mitch live, I'll come with you to the End. Please."

Zariah snarled. **"I'd rather kill them. It will bring me more pleasure than completing Ember's task."**

"Please!" Sky cried, in a panic. Ty was dying.

Zariah smiled at his misery, then twitched. **"No!" **she wailed in anger.

Her eyes faded to Ember's. "I accept your proposal," she said calmly, waving a hand. The flames disappeared from Ty's body, though he continued to moan. At least he wasn't dead. "Hand me the amulet." As she extended her hand, Ember spared a glance in Mitch's direction, and the Canadian was instantly bound in the purple tendrils from earlier.

Slowly, Sky took off the amulet, feeling strangely light as the familiar weight disappeared. He set it into Ember's waiting palm, not breaking eye contact with her. She visibly flinched as she touched the purple crystal. "Ember, please. You don't have to do this," he begged. He didn't want to find out what the god of evil had planned for him.

Her gaze darkened as she pocketed the amulet. "Don't say that." She stepped over to Ty, who still writhed on the ground. His eyes were clamped tightly shut, and Sky shuddered to think what would be there when he opened his eyes. If he lived to open his eyes. Leaning down, Ember touched his forehead and muttered a word. Instantly, he stilled.

"What did you do?" Had she killed him?

"Put him to sleep. He was still conscious, even after what we did."

"We?"

"Zariah and I." She paused. "I'm not heartless."

"There's not much evidence to support that claim," Sky muttered darkly.

She smiled, but it was only her mouth that moved; her purple eyes flashed hurt. "Whatever you say, Sky." She spoke a word, and Sky felt himself fade into unconsciousness.

**It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line Yes I'm insane It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line It's a line**

**Thanks for reading! Last chapter coming soon!**


	30. End

**Hey people. It's here. The last chapter. Read on!**

**tytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytyt**

Ty sat up with a jolt. The pain, the hurt, the fire consuming him, devouring him. It had been agony. And what made it worse was that it had all been made possible by someone he'd considered a friend. Ember, or Zariah, or whatever she was had done this.

He opened his eyes and blinked. Nothing happened. He blinked again. The world remained just as dark. Everything was pitch black, and he shivered, huddling in on himself, wincing whenever he bumped a burn. "Hello?" Ty called into the emptiness around him. All he could feel was the hard ground and the cold.

"Ty," croaked a voice nearby. Mitch! Ty swung his head around, searching for him.

"Mitch! Mitch, where are you?" he begged.

"Right here." Ty could tell now that the voice was coming from his left, and he turned, reaching out a shaking hand until it bumped a warm body. He still couldn't see his friend in the pitch blackness.

"Mitch?" Ty whimpered. "Where am I?"

"I think we're in the End. Can't you tell?"

Ty drew a shuddering breath as a suspicion took root in his mind, spreading rapidly until fear paralyzed him. He knew now what had happened. "No… Mitch… I can't see. I can't see anything."

But he could cry.

**ememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememe**

Ember folded her wings tightly around her body as she sat on a huge obsidian spire overlooking the endless rolling hills of creamy tan stone. She'd succeeded. And she'd kept Zariah from killing Ty and Mitch, which was no small task. So why did she have such a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach?

Her thoughts kept drifting to Sky. _Stop it, girl. What's done is done_, she chided herself. She didn't care about him. Sky was just a job, a task. Right? Ember had done what she had to do to capture him, to complete her mission. Granted, it hadn't been an entirely unpleasant job.

Sky had looked so betrayed, so hurt. It had surprised her. She expected him to be scared. Ember had been sure that he only liked her appearance. She'd been sure that he didn't really care about her. Ember had expected him to be revolted by her regular form, to be disgusted with her wings, her tail. But he'd seemed to care about her, really be concerned. Self consciously, her tail looped around her leg, and her wings fluttered, letting the cold wind of the End rush over her skin.

She'd rather be warm in Sky's arms, his lips on hers, at peace.

**_Stop it, you lovesick little bitch. I don't want your stupid feelings. _**That was Zariah.

_But I don't want them either_.

**skyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskykyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskyskysky**

Sky snapped awake. Had that been a dream? No. Unfortunately, no. He tried to sit up, and found that he was tied down by his wrists and a band that wrapped around his stomach, holding him securely to the cold stone ground. Twisting his head, he could see metal bars coming up from the ground towards the creamy tan ceiling.

So Ember had done it. She'd brought him to the End. Somehow, he hadn't quite believed she would until now. Sky had hoped that she'd see reason, remember that they were in love, do something other than what had happened. He flinched in shock as a hand shook his leg.

"Who's there?" Sky asked, feeling suddenly vulnerable, stuck on his back with nowhere to run.

"Oh, good! You're awake!" a voice called. It seemed familiar, but strangely out of place.

"Who are you? I can't see you!"

"I thought you'd recognize my voice. Oh well. I'm glad to see you, Sky! Well, I'd be more glad if I were out of here and meeting you outside of prison, but, hey, you take what you get."

"You still haven't answered my question, you idiot," Sky groaned in annoyance.

"Sorry, Sky. Will you always be calling me idiot, even if I save your life with my heroic death? Geez, man, that's cold."

And at last, Sky placed the voice. "JASON! I'M STARTLED!"

**THE END (OF PART ONE)**

**To summarize, Ty is now blind, Ember is experiencing the voice in her head and some regrets, and Jason is alive. JASON IS ALIVE!**

**Alright. I don't know how to end this. As you probably saw, this is the end of part one. I WILL be doing a sequel. Thank you to everyone who has read this story, and especially to everyone who reviewed. Thank you to DrunkRussianAni for the first review!**

**It is completely unreal for me to be writing this, and realizing that people are going to read it. As of tonight, this story has received over 3,300 views and 65 reviews. I can honestly not believe it. I feel special! **

**I will publish more information on the sequel as soon as I have the first chapter ready. It will probably be in third person again, and I decided that I'll probably use Ember's, Ty's, and Sky's perspectives. I hope that you guys enjoy!**

**Thanks to everyone, and don't let the bunnies get you!**


	31. Sequel News

**Okay.**

**This is it. Sunset is finally finished. The new story is published.**

**It's called Midnight. You can find it through my profile.**

**I hope you enjoy this sequel. Don't hate on Ember.**

**Thank you for reading this story.**

**DFTBA!**


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